Fairies Don't Date Criminals (CoLu Week 2016)
by inizhay
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is the VP of the hottest sorority on campus: Fairy Tail. Erik "Cobra" Cobranus is the VP of the newest and least liked fraternity: Crime Sorciere. They're from two different worlds, but maybe together they can make the stereotypes and drama disappear. (Accidentally wrote a novel for CoLu week. This is a modern College AU.)
1. Day 1, Part 1

**AH! CoLu Week! I can't wait to read all the cool stuff that people post (I've already read a few, and they are awesome!), and I'm super excited to present this rather lengthy college AU. I don't know quite why or how, but um... I wrote a novel. So, I hope you enjoy it because I rather enjoyed writing it. I really just meant to do seven one-shots, but then the songs I found to match the prompts just fit so perfectly for a complete plot that things got a bit out of hand...**

 **I do want to note that I have never been in a sorority and I don't actually know anybody who has, so all information/inspiration for the sorority/fraternity stuff here is based on things like _Revenge of the Nerds_ and the ABCFamily show _Greek._ Sorry in advance if that bugs anyone. **

**Anyway, on y va!**

* * *

 **Day 1: Eternity**

 **Part 1**

 **"Hills of Eternity" by Buckethead**

 **(August)**

* * *

"Lucy, hurry it up already!"

Lucy grinned as she finished dragging the last of her suitcases out of her dad's car. The lawn of the antebellum-style house swarmed with girls lugging boxes and suitcases inside for the new school year. The sun glinted off various shades of hair color and a serious overabundance of pink and purple luggage. Lucy took a moment to appreciate the sight of her sorority's name spelled out against the beautiful white house: Fairy Tail. It used to be actual Greek symbols somewhere back when the house was founded, but when the nickname was fully adopted, everyone sort of forgot what it used to be called. The other Greeks on campus soon followed suit so that when new chapter houses popped up, they rarely bothered with the Greek letters to begin with and just chose a nickname.

"If you're so damn eager, why don't you lend a hand?" Lucy yelled back at her roommate of two years. Cana stuck out her tongue, but she came to help anyway.

"Well, Ms. Vice President, ready to get the party started?" Cana asked. She picked up a bright pink suitcase from the curb and hefted it over her shoulder while grabbing a matching laptop bag with the other hand.

"You bet! You know, now that we're in our third year, I think I've finally got a handle on this whole university thing. No more procrastinating, skipping class to sleep, or wasting too much money in the SAC."

"Keep dreaming, gorgeous," Cana said with a laugh. "As long as you remembered not to take any morning classes you might have a shot at the second one, but there's no way that Natsu's going to give you any hope of keeping those other two resolutions of yours."

Lucy pouted as she dragged her other two suitcases up the sidewalk. Cana probably had a point. Lucy's boyfriend had a habit of running through his food funds in the Student Activity Center cafeteria by the end of the first month, and because he knew that Lucy's dad paid her bill, he would mooch off of her for the rest of the semester. Her dad had given her a serious lecture about it when she went home for summer break, but then, he wasn't pleased with her choice of boyfriend anyway.

"I can't let him take all my food money this year. Dad said no more mooch-y boyfriend if he wants to be able to come home with me for Christmas," Lucy told her. They were nearly knocked over by an excited blue-haired woman running out squealing before tackling a young woman with pink hair who was struggling to pull a dark blue suitcase that was almost her size.

"Oh good, the sisters of love have been reunited," Cana said. She rolled her eyes and entered the house.

The large foyer was littered with unclaimed bags, but even with the clutter it was undeniably beautiful with the hardwood floors and white columns framing the open entrances to the dens on either side. Black and white photos lined the wall up the first flight of stairs. Lucy glanced at them as she passed, though she already had them memorized. She'd joined the sorority during her freshman year as a legacy. Her grandmother had helped to found the sorority nearly a century before, and her mother had served as president for her last two years of school.

Cana kicked open the door to their room, and Lucy winced as it slammed against the wall. She swore her roommate didn't know her own strength sometimes. The two girls dumped their bags on the floor and collapsed on their backs onto Lucy's bed. They'd been roommates for two years, starting in the dorms their first semester before moving into the house as active members. They had the same room and by default chose the same beds with Lucy by the window so she could catch a glimpse of some stars on clear nights and so Cana could avoid the sunlight as much as possible in the morning.

"So, spill, how was all the debutante crap this year?" Cana asked. She shifted onto her side with her head propped up on her hand. Lucy groaned and covered her eyes.

"I swear if my father doesn't stop trying to convince Freed Justine's parents that I'm secretly in love with their son I'm going to run away, and he'll never see me again."

"Before or after you finish your degree?"

"Probably after. After seems smarter, right?"

"Indeed. Leaving one's education unfinished seems unjustified when it is being paid for by someone else," Erza Scarlet said from the door.

Lucy removed her hands from her face to view their new President. She wore her vibrant red hair half up, and a pair of black glasses gave her a strict look that she really didn't need to go with her natural aura. She looked like she was going to a board meeting with Lucy's dad, the CEO of Heartfilia Enterprise, rather than moving into a sorority house at the start of the academic year. Lucy started to feel a little under-dressed in her blue mini-skirt and form-fitting white and blue tank top.

"Come on in and join us, Big Sis," Cana said with a wave of her hand.

"I'm a little busy at the moment, actually. I merely saw the door open and thought I would remind Lucy of the E-Board meeting tonight after dinner. Mira will be going over the recruitment plans."

"Don't worry, I'll be there!" Lucy said excitedly. Erza nodded and continued down the hallway. She and Mira, the VP of recruitment, were the only seniors on the executive board this year, but the three juniors joining them were excited to learn about the running of the sorority so they could keep the Fairy Tail house running the next year, too.

"So, seen any of the Sabers, yet?" Cana asked as they settled back onto the bed.

"No, the driver brought me straight here. Laxus took a separate car because he got up earlier than I did," Lucy said. "You?"

"I ran into Sting last night when I got into town. His training regimen is really paying off, I think he's working with a 12-pack at this point."

Lucy giggled. She figured she would head to the Sabertooth house the next day. Classes weren't starting for another week, but this week would be all about rush, so she really only had the next day to get settled and reacquainted with Natsu. She'd barely seen him all summer as her parents kept her running from one event to another with their wealthy friends and business associates.

"So…" Cana drew out the word. Lucy glanced at her roommate and cocked an eyebrow at the smirk on Cana's face. "Do you think Natsu's going to lavaliere you this semester?"

"Ugh, as if. I doubt he even knows what that means," Lucy said. She rolled over and buried her face in the still bare mattress. She made a mental note to get sheets and pillows on this bed as soon as possible.

"I'm sure one of the other brothers will let him know. Maybe. Actually, there's a small chance that none of them have heard of it before. They really aren't very concerned with traditions. And they aren't the brightest bunch," Cana sighed. Then, she giggled, "Not like those nerdalicious hotties at Crime Sorciere."

"What the hell is 'nerdalicious'? And you seriously did not just call them hotties," Lucy groaned. She shot a glare at Cana. "The door's still open; people can hear you. Do you want Erza to murder you? I'm the VP, I can't defend you against her. I'd lose my position."

"Oh please, like you haven't thought it, too. I don't get why we have to pretend to be too good for them just because they're a newer frat."

"They just formed last year!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, and at some point Fairy Tail was only a year old, too."

"Valid point," Lucy said. Then, she added primly, "But it doesn't matter because the newness of their frat isn't the reason we don't associate with them unless we have to."

"No, it's because we're the sister chapter to Sabertooth. And because Sorano is an overprotective bitch. It's still stupid. I wonder whose Cheerio's Jellal had to piss in to get that level of hate from the Sabers, though."

"I doubt we'll find out," Lucy replied. She stood reluctantly and started digging through a suitcase for her bedding. "Now help me make the bed or get lost, woman."

COLU*COLU*COLU

"Cobra, hurry the fuck up, man."

Erik rolled his eyes and threw a bag at the sound of his roommate's voice without looking. The yelp of irritation told him he'd hit his target, and he grinned. A hand came up to pop him on the back of the head.

"Cut it out, Macbeth," Erik hissed. He pulled his duffel bag out of the trunk of the cab and slammed the trunk lid down. He handed the cabbie a wad of bills before actually facing his best friend. "Why are you in such a rush anyway?"

"I've got something to tell you, and doing so in public would be tantamount to signing my own death warrant, so get your ass moving."

Erik sighed and picked up the duffel bag and backpack from the curb. Traffic in the area had been shit with all of the Greek's returning to campus before the dorms opened up. Tomorrow would be worse with all the fresh meat rolling in. He grimaced at the thought. He'd survived three years of the fresh-faced newbies, and he vaguely remembered (maybe) being one himself, though he'd started a few years later than most so he'd (probably) been less naïve than most. He'd get through it again, though this year was also going to bring a new set of problems with the frat's first rush.

The house was the very last one on Greek Row. While the other Greeks had white palatial residences in the Greek revival style of many southern plantations, Crime Sorciere had a brownstone doublewide townhouse. It had been the dorm for international students before the university built them a nice new place closer to the center of campus. Erik had to admit this suited the newest frat better. As the black sheep of Fiore U's Pan-Hellenic system, this seemed just right. Of course they also had a lot fewer members than the other houses, so the size would work for a while at least.

Macbeth shoved open the front door. It opened onto the kitchen with a flight of stairs separating the kitchen from the dining room. Weirdest set up he'd ever seen in one of these. It was like the architect had his plans backwards when construction began and the front of the house ended up at the back. He followed Macbeth up two flights of stairs to the attic. Instead of paying for remodeling, the attic had been designated the E-Board living quarters. Two beds to the right of the stairs had already been claimed, along with one to the left on the back wall. Erik threw his duffel bag on the remaining one. He was mildly grateful that Macbeth had let him have the window.

"Alright, spill. What's this secret that could lead to your untimely demise?" Erik asked. He dropped his backpack on the dresser beside the bed and ran a hand through his maroon hair. He decided a shower was in order as soon as possible. He was sure his hair was sticking up all over the place. Erik's fingers drifted down over the scar covering his useless right eye before he clenched his hand into a fist at his side.

"There wasn't one," Macbeth said with a shrug. "I just wanted to get your ass moving faster."

Erik threw a pillow at him, which Macbeth caught easily and hugged. He had his black and white hair in pigtails, which Erik thought made him look even more like a teenage girl with his heavy black eyeliner and the pillow hugged to his chest.

"And why was that so important again?"

"Because we need to talk about something," the president's voice drifted from the stairs. Erik was surprised he hadn't heard him coming. Usually his ears were way better than this. Jellal stepped the rest of the way into the room with Richard trailing behind him. The big man had to duck so his head didn't scrape the ceiling. Erik was pretty sure that Richard had grown again over the summer as his pants were a few inches too short; that or the man just couldn't find clothes that actually fit him. Neither option would be surprising.

"Alright, then, you spill. What's up?" Erik asked. He flopped back on his bed with a sigh of satisfaction. Airplane seats were not comfortable to sleep in, and it hadn't helped that the guy next to him kept using barf bag after barf bag the entire flight.

"It's about rush. And the cats," Jellal said. He smoothed his blue hair to the side before he took a seat next to Macbeth while Richard sank to the ground with his knees drawn up against him.

"Think they'll give us trouble again this year?"

"Undoubtedly," Jellal said.

"Remind me again what you did to piss Heartfilia off?" Erik said with a smirk. Jellal scowled at him. It wasn't a particularly intimidating look coming from behind the oversized glasses that were less fashion statement and more can't see shit. Though Jellal did pair it with a decidedly hipster wardrobe of skinny jeans and plaid, so at least he was trying to make his disability work for him.

"That wasn't my fault. I wasn't about to let the oaf take credit for a group project that he didn't contribute to."

"And your high academic morals are the reason we're fighting an uphill battle to gain acceptance in the Greek system. Right. What else did you do?" Erik said. Jellal blushed furiously, and Erik knew he was onto something far juicier, but Macbeth interrupted.

"Well, you certainly didn't help by getting into a brawl with Dragneel. On multiple occasions."

"The moron nearly gassed our entire chem. lab sophomore year with his stupid stunt. He could have killed people," Erik grumbled. That wasn't the only reason he'd decided to pound the hot-tempered pinkie into the ground, and it wasn't the reason for the other dozens of fights he'd gotten into with the guy. "And aren't you the one who alienated Fairy Tail by trying to hit on Sorano's teenage sister last year?"

"She looked far older! Besides, she's 18 now. You just can't appreciate true love at first sight, Cobra."

"Sure, we'll go with that. Fine, we're all to blame for this situation. Except maybe Richard."

The three turned to look at their treasurer as if waiting for him to admit that he, too, was somehow responsible for their frat's unpopularity on campus. He remained silent with a large grin on his face. Erik idly wondered how the man always remained so damned cheery. Instead of looking into it further, he turned back to Jellal.

"So what are we supposed to do about it, oh fearless leader?" Erik asked.

"I was hoping to hear some ideas from you three," Jellal said. "Though I do think being a little… nicer… would probably help. Especially to the women from Fairy Tail. They are the most influential sorority on campus."

"Yeah, Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale aren't exactly known for their high rush counts or large number of invitations to shit," Macbeth said. "And the fact that Grimoire Heart likes us isn't really working in our favor as it is."

"Doesn't that mean we should try to be on better terms with them?" Richard asked. "If we all band together, the love on campus is bound to flow for all of us!"

"Pretty sure that's wishful thinking, big guy," Erik said. "Those sororities won't come within ten feet of us unless they think Fairy Tail will approve. They care too much about trying to emulate the girls from the biggest house. The real question is why can't Jellal's secret girlfriend get her sisters on our side?"

"It is a delicate situation for her," Jellal said. His tone was so prim that Erik half-expected the man to produce a porcelain teacup from his ass and sip from it with pinkie extended.

"Or is she ashamed of dating you?" Erik couldn't resist goading him. Jellal's eyes narrowed slightly, and Erik made a mental note to keep a close eye on his shower products and other personal belongings. The last time he'd truly pissed Jellal off, he'd ended up with bleach in his shampoo. Erik had been pretty sure before that pink wasn't his color, but now he was positive. Jellal let the jab slide without comment, so Erik was doubly concerned.

After tossing around a few more ideas (none of them worthwhile) Jellal and Richard left to greet the other six members and figure out dinner plans while Erik began unpacking and Macbeth began pestering him.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy walked into the Sabertooth house without bothering to knock. She was such a regular figure in the house that no one even blinked when she strolled in. Gray just motioned up the stairs, and she made her way to Natsu's usual room. This time she did knock, just in case his roommate Sting was walking around naked again. Said roommate opened the door, rubbing a hand through his messy blond hair. He blinked sleepily for a moment before suddenly reaching out and pulling Lucy into the room. She let out a surprised 'eep' as she lost her balance and tumbled inside. She was only saved from hitting the floor by Sting's arms wrapping around her waist. She suddenly found herself staring at Sting's face from far closer than she really ever wanted to. He squinted at her and moved slightly closer. Lucy tried to back away from the movement, but Sting held her fast.

"Lucy?" He asked. Lucy was pretty sure some of her nose hairs shriveled up and died at the smell of alcohol on his breath.

"God, Sting, are you already drunk? Or rather, still drunk?" Lucy asked. She tried to breathe through her mouth to avoid the smell.

"Probably," Sting said with a laugh.

"Well, that's great. Where the hell is Natsu?" Lucy tried to get her arms up to push away from Sting's bare chest.

"Right here, babe," Natsu's voice called weakly from across the room. "Sting, leggo."

Sting practically dropped Lucy on the floor as he stumbled back to his bed. Lucy flipped him off before heading to the opposite side of the room. Natsu was spread out on his bed. He gave Lucy a lopsided grin before reaching up to pull her down with him. Lucy giggled.

"Miss me?" Natsu whispered.

"Of course, now come on, let's go out and do something. I'm going to be swamped with class and rush crap for the next couple of weeks. Let's hang out."

"We can just hang out here," Natsu said with a suggestive smirk.

"Oh yeah, you, me, and the walking case of sexual harassment over there," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. She sat up. "Seriously, let's get out of here."

When Natsu remained silent, Lucy leaned over him, pressing her sizeable chest into him. He hummed appreciatively, until she started tickling him in that specific spot to the left of his six-pack that made him squeal like a pre-pubescent girl when confronted with a nest of spiders. He rolled away from her and fell to the floor with a thump.

"Ugh, okay, okay," he said.

She admired the ripple of his back muscles as he push-uped off the floor and started searching for clothes. Lucy knew the guys had only moved in yesterday, so she really couldn't understand how their room could already be so messy, unless of course they had just skipped the closets all together and emptied their suitcases onto the floor when they arrived. Natsu finally located an acceptably unwrinkled t-shirt and pair of jeans. He ruffled his salmon-colored hair and looked down at her with a lifted eyebrow.

"Ready?" He asked. Lucy hopped up and kissed his cheek before smiling and dragging him out the door.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Erik scowled at Jellal through the mirror where the blue-haired man was looking over his shoulder. He got that they needed to advertise their frat around campus today so that maybe some of the freshmen and new transfer students would be interested in rushing with them. What he didn't get was why he had to wear the black bandana with the Crime Sorciere symbol while Jellal got to wear a hoodie, and Macbeth and Richard got to wear normal t-shirts.

"I look like the fucking Karate Kid," Erik grumbled. It probably didn't help that he was wearing dark red jeans and a gray sweatshirt. He sighed as he realized he'd done it to himself. He couldn't help it that his fashion sense was stuck in 80s brawler mode; it was just comfy.

"Perhaps," Jellal said with a shrug. "But more importantly, you look interesting. We want people to be interested."

"Then why aren't you three wearing one of these?" Erik asked. He pointed to the offending scrap of material on his forehead that was pushing his naturally spiky maroon hair to new heights.

"It looks better on you, Cobra," Macbeth said from his bed. He also looked like he was stuck in the 80s, but channeling Cyndi Lauper instead of teenage Ralph Macchio; Macbeth had purposely gotten a t-shirt too large for him so he could cut out the neck and wear it off one shoulder with his ripped black skinnies. And he still had the damn pigtails.

Macbeth flipped through a textbook while he sat cross-legged on the black and white comforter. Classes wouldn't even start for another week, but he was already getting ahead of the readings for all six of his classes. Erik suddenly realized why their frat was considered the geek squad on campus. He'd probably be doing the exact same thing over the weekend when they finally finished with rush events.

"Whatever. Can we just go already?" Erik asked.

Erik led the way downstairs where the rest of their members were waiting in the den. Most had on t-shirts like Macbeth and Richard, but for some reason Freed had opted for an intricately tied scarf, while Rufus had managed to stitch the Crime Sorciere symbol onto a fedora. Erik suddenly felt a little better about his bandana; at least he wouldn't be the strangest looking person after all.

Jellal handed out stacks of fliers detailing their events. Erik was glad they didn't have to do a formal recruitment like the sororities on campus; at least that would save some headache for him. With only ten active members, four of whom would be graduating that year, rush was even more important than it usually was for a fraternity. Jellal's goal was 8 pledges; Erik was afraid that might be a bit of a reach. Then again, most freshmen wouldn't know anything about the Greeks on campus, so they might get lucky.

They made their way as a unit to the opposite edge of campus where all the dorms were situated before splitting off to pick out likely targets. Erik tried to stick with Macbeth, but he lost him somewhere in the milling crowd of new students lugging boxes and suitcases between the buildings. For some reason, the campus designers had put a huge dirty pond in the center of a ring of dorms. It was rumored that the waters were toxic, but he'd gone skinny dipping in it on a drunken dare freshman year, and he didn't feel any mutations occurring. Still, he'd had to scrub his skin raw to feel really clean after the experience. Not to mention that he'd been too drunk to clean up before passing out, so he'd had to wash his sheets twenty times before he could comfortably sleep on them again.

Shaking off the memory, Erik surveyed the freshmen without much hope until he spotted a vaguely familiar face.

"Hey! You're the barf machine from the plane!" Erik barked. The guy dropped his bags in shock, and one of them split down the side, spilling clothing and a huge stack of books to the sidewalk. Erik strolled over and started helping him pick things up.

"Didn't mean to startle you, man," Erik said.

"It's fine."

Erik watched the black-haired man covertly. Long black hair framed a stony expression. He wore baggy black pants and a band t-shirt, one of those metal bands with an impossible to read logo. Judging by the stack of books he was helping gather up, the guy was a reader, and not just for classes. Erik glanced around at the crowd. When he didn't sense any other likely targets in the vicinity he decided to try something he wasn't used to: being nice to strangers.

"I can help you to your room if you want. I feel like a dick for your bag getting ripped."

"No need. I'm sure I can make it," the metal fan said. He tried to juggle the ripped bag along with his other two suitcases, but he ended up dropping the whole thing. Erik just watched in amusement, wondering how long the kid would hold out. It took two more attempts before he looked up to see Erik still standing there and said that maybe help would be appreciated after all.

"Name?" Erik asked as he lugged the two suitcases up the third flight of stairs.

"Of?"

"Your great-grandmother," Erik said. He rolled his eyes, but he kind of liked the snarky response. "You, Mr. Emo, I meant you. What's your name?"

"Ryos. Most people call me Rogue," he said after some contemplation.

"Erik. A few idiots call me Cobra."

They continued in silence on the fourth floor and finally reached a room that Rogue had a key to. Erik set the suitcases down with a small thump. He wanted to collapse in between them and thank whatever deity might exist that they were through with the stairs. He idly thought that this was a sign he needed to start training again. He'd only taken a month off, and he was already getting soft. Though, to be fair, he was pretty sure there were either bricks or books in both suitcases.

"Nice place," Erik said. He surveyed the closet that the university deigned to call a bedroom. There was about two feet of space between the beds with desks attached to the ends. Maybe a foot away from the desks were two sliding closet doors with the hall door in between them. "Cozy."

Rogue grunted. He set the broken bag on the bed.

"Well, thanks for the help, man," he said.

"No problem," Erik turned to leave but then he remembered why he was actually helping in the first place and he faced Rogue again. "Hey, you ever thought of joining a fraternity?"

"Do I look like a frat guy?" Rogue asked. It was almost creepy how little emotion the guy betrayed. Erik was usually fantastic at reading people, but he just couldn't get a sense of the kid's thought process at all.

"Do I?" Erik countered.

"No, you look like the Karate Kid," Rogue said. Oh yeah, Jellal's ass was getting kicked when Erik made it back to the house.

"Look, Ryos—."

"Rogue."

"Alright, Rogue. Crime Sorciere isn't like most frats. We're a little… eccentric. But we'll be holding a rush week with the other Greeks starting tomorrow. Just think about checking us out. You might like us. And you won't have to share a shoebox like this with someone if you live in the frat house." Erik held out one of the flyers about the events.

Rogue turned back to the bag on his bed with a shrug. Erik laid the flyer on the desk before he walked out and found himself in front of an elevator. Why the hell hadn't they taken that instead of the stairs? He waited five minutes for the elevator car before giving up and taking the stairs back down. He figured he needed the exercise anyway.

He considered trying to find another potential target, but he honestly felt that his good deed for the day was done, despite the fact that he still had a good fifty flyers in his hand. As he stepped out of the building, he was nearly knocked over by a couple running past him. Erik glared at the blond and pink heads as they continued away from him. He heard a bubbly peal of laughter from the girl as her boyfriend tackled her to the grass, and his glare hardened.

"Fucking Fairies and their goddamn pussy cat boyfriends," he muttered. Resolve restored, he began handing out the event flyers to any male who passed too close to him.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Erik was undeniably surprised by the turnout for the first event. Jellal had scheduled it earlier in the day than most frat rush activities, so that probably helped. He'd managed to find out what time slot was free of orientation activities, too, so there really wasn't anything else going on at the school. Still, there was something like 50 young men crowded into the backyard attempting to mingle. The pizza had vanished in the first five minutes, and he was pretty sure the soda and cookies would soon follow, and with it the people, no doubt.

"Well, time to mingle," Erik muttered to himself before diving into the middle of the chaos.

Half an hour later, there were only ten people not already in the frat standing around the backyard. Erik was trying not to murder the small brunette in front of him talking about financial mergers and the stock exchange. Of course, he was thinking of the hundreds of ways that he could kill the fragile-looking boy, and most of them involved his bare hands and mixed martial arts training. He felt his eye glazing as the boy (Evan? Ivy? Ever? What the hell was his name again?) continued talking about why he wanted to study finance. Erik's gaze flicked toward the house, and he had to repress a shout of pure ecstasy when a new face appeared.

"Sorry, man, can't wait to hear more about it later, but I've got to go greet the newcomer," Erik said. He clapped a hand on the small boy's shoulder in what he hoped was a friendly gesture before nearly sprinting toward the new person, who he was actually somewhat glad to see.

"You're late," Erik said.

"Does that automatically disqualify me? Because I can leave," Rogue said tonelessly.

"Not on your life, man," Erik said. He grabbed Rogue's arm and pulled him further into the yard. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so intent on the metal kid joining, but at least with him here right now he could avoid the finance freak. "You did miss the pizza, though. Come meet the prez."

By the fourth day of events, Erik was tired and not particularly hopeful about their prospects. Rogue had come to one other event, and the finance kid whose name turned out to be Eve showed up to all of them, but turnout was otherwise decidedly negligible. Jellal had originally planned to do a party for the final night, but he nixed the idea when he heard that Sabertooth was already doing that, and they had invited Fairy Tail. Even people who weren't trying to get into Sabertooth would be there. The time and place was still on the Crime Sorciere event flyers, but they doubted anyone would show up.

"Movie night?" Macbeth suggested. A general chorus of "meh, okay" went up around the living room.

Surprisingly, four potential members did show up. Eve was the first to arrive; he was over dressed in a button-up and blazer, but then, Freed usually sported a smoking jacket and cravat, so who were they to judge? A purple-haired boy named Matthew came with his roommate, Nathaniel. Erik didn't actually remember speaking to them at any point, though he did vaguely recognize Nathaniel's horribly drawn star tattoo on his forearm. They had already started on the first _Star Wars_ movie ( _A New Hope_ , not _Phantom Menace_ , at Lahar's insistence) when the doorbell rang again. Jellal ushered Rogue into the room.

"Didn't want to party with the kitty cats?" Erik murmured as Rogue took the seat next to him. They'd collected all the pillows in the house and arranged them on the floor in front of the giant flat screen mounted on the wall.

"Not particularly," Rogue said. "I prefer to avoid them when I can."

Erik arched an eyebrow at that, but Rogue didn't seem inclined to elaborate, so he let it go. If the only way to get new members was by playing on the fact that the E-Board couldn't be the only people who had crossed the Sabers at some point, then so be it.

Halfway through _A New Hope_ , they had to up the volume by a lot, and even then, Erik could still hear the music and shrieks of hilarity coming from Sabertooth just a little ways up the street.


	2. Day 1, Part 2

**Day 1: Eternity**

 **Part 2**

 **"Eternity" by Rachel Taylor**

 **(August)**

* * *

The bonfire may have been a little bigger than necessary, but it certainly set the tone for the party. Lucy swayed in front of the flames as she leaned on Cana. They sang along to the catchy but mostly shit pop song. Lucy had let her borderline alcoholic roommate talk her into drinking far more than she really should, but Lucy kind of needed it to get through the night. She wasn't actually a fan of these parties. She wouldn't have minded so much if her boyfriend didn't disappear with his bros constantly. Or if there were fewer strangers pressing in on her. The blonde half-wished that she had stayed back at the house with Erza.

"I'm gonna go find Natsu!" Lucy yelled in Cana's ear. The brunette merely nodded and latched onto the random girl on her other side as Lucy pulled away.

Lucy stumbled a bit on the steps leading up to the porch. There were so many people lounging on the steps that walking would be difficult even if she weren't drunk off her ass. Lucy was usually pretty good at holding her alcohol, but she'd been trying to get wasted tonight. After doing body shots with Cana failed to keep her boyfriend's interest, she'd spiraled into what Cana called "drinking to keep from sinking." The plan was mildly successful in that she was a happy drunk, so her mood was pretty light, but the missing Natsu kept nagging at the back of her mind.

A wet ping pong ball whacked her in the temple as she reached the porch. A blushing freshman that Lucy vaguely recognized as a likely pledge came up to her and apologized profusely. She waved him back toward the beer pong table as she continued to the back door, but she kept her hands over her head just in case any other damp projectiles went awry. She sighed as she entered the kitchen. She was fairly certain the entire campus had packed itself into the house and yards of Sabertooth. As she slowly wound her way through the kitchen, she started out apologizing and trying to be polite, but within a few feet she was cursing and shoving people aside.

She meandered through each room on the first floor with great difficulty as she searched for a pink head of hair. She felt her nice buzz seeping away as she shoved through the throngs of inebriated college students. The music was even more deafening here than by the fire, and she felt that her hangover was going to present itself ahead of schedule. She considered giving up, but then she decided to just check Natsu's room. He might be smoking out with Sting; they didn't like to share at parties this big, so they'd always lock themselves in their room for a bit before rejoining the crowd.

The top floor was far less crowded. Non-members were discouraged from venturing towards the bedrooms of the Sabers, and somehow that information got around to all party-goers. Lucy turned the handle to Natsu's room and was slightly surprised to find it unlocked. Maybe they weren't smoking after all. She pushed it open to enter anyway. She immediately wished that she hadn't.

Sting and Natsu were both in their room, but not for the purpose Lucy had thought. Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect 'O' as she took in the scene. She desperately wanted to look away, burn out her retinas, fry the neurons related to memory, or anything that would make her forget what she was seeing. Still, she couldn't stop watching as her boyfriend deep-throated his roommate.

Time stopped. An eternity passed as she stood frozen with her hand still on the doorknob. She was sure this was hell. Lucy wasn't sure what she had done to deserve this specific hell, but that's what it had to be. The two men remained completely oblivious to Lucy's presence. A small voice in her head started frantically whispering that she needed to leave. She needed to shut the door and run away as fast as possible. Another, slightly smaller, voice wanted her to yell at them, to scream and rage at this betrayal. The tiniest voice, barely a whisper of thought even, wanted her to join them.

Lucy finally snapped out of her shock when a hand landed on her shoulder. Lucy pulled the door closed with a thump. She clamped her mouth shut with a click of her teeth that jarred her already aching head. She stared blearily up at her twin brother.

"Looking for Natsu?" Laxus asked. He crossed his arms over his absurdly buff chest, and she wondered, not for the first time, how they had come from the same DNA.

"Yeah, he's not there," Lucy lied. "It's cool, though. I'm sure I'll see him tomorrow or something."

She tried to head for the stairs, but Laxus had put his hand back on her shoulder.

"Are you okay, Twinkie?" He asked. Lucy giggled at the blast from the past nickname. Laxus had called her that one day when they were four after their mom gave her a bob; he said that her pale face and bright yellow hair made her look like a half-eaten twinkie. Lucy had never allowed anyone to cut her hair that short again. But the fact that he was using the nickname now meant he was worried about her.

"I'm fine, Pikachu," she said. A crushing weight settled around her heart, but other than that, totally fine. "I'm just going to head home. I think I'm all partied out for tonight."

"Let me walk you."

"You sure you can leave, Mr. President? After all, it's kind of your party."

"Gray can take care of shit. He's in charge of recruitment so really this is his problem anyway. I can't let my sister wander around after dark half-drunk. It's bad enough that your deadbeat boyfriend isn't around to do this instead. What do you even see in that maniac?"

"I don't know," Lucy whispered as she let him guide her down the stairs and through the house. It was a lot easier to move around with Laxus at her side. He had a hand protectively on her lower back to steer her through the rooms. Everyone immediately moved aside for the blond behemoth.

Laxus walked her to the Fairy Tail door, which was just across the street. He ruffled her hair affectionately before turning to head back to his noisy house. Lucy exhaled a fat sigh of relief to be alone. She threw herself on the couch in the den to the right and screamed into a pillow as what she had witnessed finally sank in. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged the dark blue square. The material was rough against her face; the thing was made to look at, not cuddle, after all. Still, she was kind of glad of the rough texture. She felt numb all over, and the pillow reminded her that she could still feel something other than her heart shattering in her chest cavity.

"Lucy?" Erza's soft voice drifted through the blonde's sobs. Lucy hiccupped into the pillow. She'd forgotten that Erza would be home. Lucy clutched the pillow harder to her face; she kind of wanted to suffocate herself right about now. She felt the couch dip slightly by her side.

"Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked. Her voice remained quiet and gentle as she began stroking Lucy's hair.

"Natsu…" Lucy tried to explain, but just saying his name brought the pain back with greater force and she started sobbing again.

Erza whispered nothings to her and hummed softly as she kept caressing the blonde's hair. Lucy was reminded of her mother soothing her when she was little, when Laxus was being a big meanie or when her dad was too busy with work to have time for her. Even when Lucy was in high school, her mother's gentle humming and soft touch made her feel better when a teacher embarrassed her or the boy she had a crush on started dating someone else. Memories of her mother and the continued ministrations of Erza helped Lucy to calm down little by little.

She finally sat up, and Erza handed her a box of tissues from the coffee table. Lucy had exhausted half the box before she resigned herself to clogged sinuses for a few hours. She expected Erza to question her, but the redhead just sat beside her and rubbed small circles on her sister's back. Lucy finally took a breath that didn't include a choked sob and figured she might actually be able to speak now.

"I caught Natsu cheating on me," Lucy said. Her voice sounded hollow, and tears threatened to spring up once more as the image of Natsu going down on Sting popped up again. Erza's hand paused on her back for only a moment before continuing to circle soothingly. Lucy waited for some sort of response. Anything from 'He doesn't deserve you' to 'How could he do such a thing?' to 'Are you sure?' ran through Lucy's head, but Erza surprised her.

"Let's get out of here," Erza said.

"What?" Lucy asked.

"The other girls will be returning soon, and I'm sure you don't want to face their questions. Let's go somewhere else," Erza explained.

Lucy was still buzzed enough for this to make sense, so she nodded. She didn't even ask where they were going as Erza wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led the blonde out of the house and down the street. She was still too stupefied by what she'd witnessed, by the body shots and beer chugging contest from earlier, and by Erza's odd way of helping to even notice when they stopped in front of the brownstone at the end of the street. It wasn't until the door was opened by a blue-haired man with a red tattoo partially hidden by his oversized glasses that Lucy realized where her sister had taken her.

"Erza, I thought you weren't coming," Jellal said quietly.

"I hadn't planned on it, but Lucy is in need of cheering up. Is the marathon still going?"

"We've just begun Episode VI," Jellal said with a nod.

He opened the door wider and stepped back so the girls could enter. Lucy found herself staring blankly at a kitchen and dining room; the kitchen counters were swamped with pizza boxes and beverages, while the dining room table was covered in textbooks. It looked like a study group had only recently vacated the area despite there being several days left before the start of classes still. Lucy obediently followed the tug of Erza's arm on her shoulders through the dining room and into a living room which took up the entire front (back?) of the house.

A dozen boys were scattered around the couches and a plain of pillows on the floor in front of a big screen TV. She saw the tell-tale scrolling opening of a _Star Wars_ film. Only a few of the guys glanced at them as Erza shoved her down on an open space of the pillow floor. A few seconds later, Jellal shoved a drink in her hand. For a moment, she wondered if she should be drinking anymore tonight, but one glance at Erza's stern face, and she took a chug. She nearly laughed when she tasted just water in the cup.

The room was silent except for the film for a few minutes, but then she felt that she was attending a screening of _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. Every few moments the Crime Sorciere members would shout out random phrases and pop culture references in relation to the action onscreen. She giggled as they shouted "Pee-yew!" and held their noses when C-3PO announced the Rangkor. Actually, she found herself giggling at several of the nonsensical and sometimes downright precious things they yelled.

By the time the credits rolled, Lucy was definitely cheered up. She knew the feeling wouldn't last, but she let the stress slide to the back of her mind. She was exhausted enough that she figured she could actually sleep now without stressing over Natsu for hours. Lucy and Erza headed to the front door with Jellal while most of the frat members drifted upstairs.

"Will you be at the welcome party tomorrow night?" Jellal asked.

"We have our pledge welcome dinner tomorrow evening. I'm not sure that I'll be able to slip away," Erza said. Lucy noted the sadness in her friend's tone.

"I bet we can swing it," Lucy said. Both presidents looked at her with wide eyes. Lucy blushed at her forwardness. "Sorry, I didn't mean to invite myself, I just… I think that it will be easier for me and Erza to come up with an excuse together for leaving after the dinner rather than Erza alone. But I mean, we can still leave together and she can come here and I can… go to the library or something."

"We would love to have both of you with us," Jellal said quickly. Lucy offered him a small smile.

"Great, then we'll be here when we can," Lucy replied.

She headed out of the front door and waited for Erza on the steps so she could have a moment with the blue-haired man. Lucy wasn't sure what was going on between them, and she never would have suspected anything before tonight, but seeing them together just seemed to fit to her. It had to suck for Erza to pretend she disliked the frat for the sake of appearances. Lucy had to admit that she felt a little fuzzy inside as she realized that Erza was trusting her with this secret. Erza was Cana's big, not Lucy's, so they had been close, but not this level of trust close. It felt nice to have someone confiding in her.

Lucy's mood took a sudden turn as she realized she could still hear the thumping music from Sabertooth. Tomorrow was not going to be a good day.

Erik waited for Erza to join the blonde outside before he approached Jellal.

"So what was that about?" Erik asked. Jellal shrugged.

"Erza merely said that Lucy required cheering up. I hope we were able to help. Goodnight, Erik."

Erik let Rogue out before heading to bed himself. The other three potential pledges had bailed after the first film. There was a good chance they wouldn't be back, though Erik knew that Jellal intended to extend bids to all three of them.

He flopped onto his bed and stared out the window at the stars as his mind wandered back to the blonde. Dragneel's girlfriend. There was no way that piece of crap deserved a body like that woman had. Granted, he didn't really know her, so maybe personality-wise she was actually a waste of space, too. She was Heartfilia's twin, so there was always that possibility. Erik drifted to sleep still thinking about her adorable giggle and the way her perfect breasts stretched the fabric of her pink crop top. He wondered if maybe pink was his color after all.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy woke up with cold dread centered in her small intestines. Or maybe it was her kidneys; she had never been great at anatomy. Cana was still snoring loudly as Lucy climbed out of bed. She showered and dressed with extreme care as she drew out her morning ritual as long as possible. She knew what she had to do, but her heart lurched painfully as she thought about it. Finally unable to perfect her makeup or attire any further, Lucy made her way downstairs and across the street.

The Sabertooth yard was surprisingly immaculate considering the amount of people who had swarmed it the night before. The inside of the house bore the signs of an epic party, though. Plastic cups, beer cans, and people littered the front rooms. She found her brother with his feet propped up on the dining room table as he sipped a cup of coffee and read the news on his laptop. No matter how late the party lasted, somehow Laxus always managed to be up and following the latest financial happenings. She was pretty sure he didn't know how to get a hangover. Luckily, the water Jellal had given her the night before kept Lucy from experiencing the dreaded morning after disease, too.

"Hey Lax, can you do me a favor?" Lucy asked. She hoped her voice sounded bright enough, and if not, maybe he would chalk it up to the hangover she didn't have.

"What's up?" He asked. He closed his laptop but otherwise remained stationary. Lucy swallowed hard and forced a smile.

"Can you grab Natsu for me? I want him to get coffee with me," Lucy said.

"Why do you need me to get him?" Laxus asked suspiciously.

"You know he won't get up if it's me, but if you go in there, he'll have to actually get out of bed," Lucy lied. The truth was she knew it was going to be hard enough looking Natsu in the face again after seeing that same face in the lap of his roommate. And forget seeing Sting for like, a year, at least.

Laxus narrowed his eyes at her, but he stood and made his way upstairs anyway. She really did love her brother at moments like this. He knew when to let shit go. After a few minutes that stretched into eons, Natsu stumbled down the stairs with the giant blonde prodding him in the back to keep him moving.

"Geez, Luce, couldn't you wait like another hour or something?" Natsu asked.

"No," Lucy said. "Come on." Her voice came out colder than she expected, and both men froze. Gray had been entering the kitchen, but upon hearing the voice of what the brothers fondly (or rather, fearfully) called Scary Lucy, he turned around as he decided that coffee could wait a while.

Without waiting to see if Natsu would actually follow her, Lucy headed for the door. Natsu nearly tripped over himself to catch up. Lucy remained silent as they walked across campus to the café in the library. Natsu tried once or twice to start conversation, but Lucy wasn't having it. Her mind was a wreck. Her heart was still crying out in pain, but her mind was wrapped in a band of icy rage. She ordered her drink and made Natsu pay for it before taking a seat on a bench outside. Natsu joined her with both cups in hand a few minutes later.

"Did you enjoy the party?" Lucy said pleasantly as she sipped her chai latte.

"Um, yeah, I mean, Sabertooth always throws great parties," Natsu said. He attempted to laugh, but the sound came out brittle. His eyes were screaming in panic as he tried to remember the times he had seen the blonde the night before and what he had done during those moments to piss her off.

"I was sad that I didn't see much of you," Lucy said. She watched the panic recede, and she smiled. Natsu caught the angry glint in her eyes that turned the smile into something more animalistic, and his panic level ratcheted up several dozen notches.

"I guess I got caught up in things," Natsu said weakly.

"Oh, what kind of things?" Lucy asked. She blinked at him sweetly, but that hard look was still in her eyes. Natsu felt his armpits grow damp.

"Just, you know, hanging out with the brothers, talking to potential pledges, the usual for rush week," Natsu muttered.

"Oh, that makes sense," Lucy said. She took a sip of her chai. She watched Natsu take a large gulp of his coffee before she asked, "Hang out with Sting at all?"

She smirked as the coffee shot out of Natsu's mouth and coated the pavement. She tried to feign concern, but the tiny rage monster in her mind was getting impatient. She patted his back gently before she wrapped a hand in his pink hair and yanked his head so their noses bumped.

"Want to tell me what happened or should I tell you?" Lucy growled. Natsu didn't even try to pull away from her. He knew it would be a futile gesture anyway. Angry Lucy was almost as strong as normal Laxus, and their relationship became fully apparent when Lucy was thoroughly pissed, as she was now.

"I'm sorry," Natsu managed to stammer. "I didn't mean for you to find out like this."

"You mean you didn't mean for me to find out at all!" Lucy spat at him. She shoved his head away so hard that he nearly knocked it against the back of the bench as he slipped to the ground. Lucy stood and glared down at him.

"Please, let me explain," Natsu begged.

"Explain why you cheated on me?" Lucy asked. "Let me guess, drunken antics?"

"Well, yeah," Natsu said. Lucy's glare hardened further, and he hung his head. "Well, no, not really. I… I've just been really confused."

"This wasn't the first time was it?" Lucy whispered. She felt her heart cracking further, and the rage receded with the pain.

"I never meant for it to happen the first time, but the way I feel with him… It's the same way that I feel with you, and I didn't know what the hell that meant." Natsu slowly rose to his feet and took a step toward her, but Lucy backed away as she shook her head. "Over the summer, I realized that… that I'm…"

"Bisexual?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded with a pained expression.

"I couldn't tell you because… well, I didn't want you to feel threatened by guys or something."

"Natsu, I don't give a shit about your sexual orientation. I mean, I'm happy for you that you're figuring things out, but my fucking roommate is bi. I know that orientation doesn't dictate actions. So, I'm glad that you are coming to terms with yourself, and I hope that at some point you feel comfortable enough to let your other friends know besides your fuck buddy." Lucy took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead before looking back up at her gaping boyfriend.

"Honestly, I don't give a fuck who you're attracted to. What I care about is the list of who you actually fuck, because I'm you're fucking girlfriend, and I should be the only person on that fucking list!" Lucy yelled. She heard voices tittering nearby and she realized they had an audience, probably garnered by her very loud and somewhat versatile use of 'fuck.' She nearly giggled herself as she realized she'd even worked one of the uses into a pun. One look at Natsu killed the giggle in her throat.

"But now, I honestly don't even care who you fuck because I'm out," Lucy whispered. She willed herself not to cry. If he sensed any weakness in her resolve, he'd pounce on it like a cheetah on a gazelle, and she knew she'd have as much chance of escaping as the gazelle did. "We're through, Natsu. I won't tell anyone who you cheated on me with, so don't worry about me outing you."

She heard him calling her name as she turned and fled back to her house, but she didn't bother looking back.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Getting through the rest of the evening was pure hell. She was pleased to finally have a Little, which turned out to be Sorano's younger sister, Yukino. The girl was quiet and well-mannered, but Lucy thought she sensed a rebellious streak in her. She couldn't wait to find out if her hunch was correct. Even with that excitement, she just wanted to get away from the formal dinner, change into something sexy, and party with people she wasn't supposed to. Erza seemed fidgety throughout the evening, as well. She forgot nearly half of her speech about sisterhood so that Lucy had to jump in and save her with an impromptu speech of her own. The new girls had barely been sent home before Lucy and Erza both slipped surreptitiously upstairs to Erza's room.

"Alright, what's wrong with you two?" Cana asked.

Erza and Lucy both jumped and let out surprised 'eeps' at the unexpected voice. Lucy knew that she looked like a kid trying to hide Crayolas behind her back while standing next to a wall covered in crayon. Erza was slightly more poised, but just slightly. Cana narrowed her eyes at them as she leaned against the door frame. Lucy hadn't really come up with a good excuse for their absence; she'd really been hoping to just slip out unnoticed. Time for plan W: Waterworks.

Cana's eyes widened in shock that quickly morphed to concern as Lucy teared up so fast it would put Shirley Temple to shame. Erza looked confused for a moment, but she quickly caught on and rushed to hug Lucy while she cooed softly.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Cana asked as she too rushed to hug the blonde.

"I— I didn't w-w-want to tell anyb-body tonight," Lucy wailed. "I didn't w-w-want to spoil th-the mood, b-b-but, Na-Natsu… He cheated on me!"

"That little bitch!" Cana shrieked. "What is he thinking? How dare that motherfucker! Oh, wait 'til I tell Laxus about this shit. Of course, there might not be anything left for him to pummel after our girls get a hold of him."

"Wait!" Lucy cried. She grabbed Cana's arms to keep her from running to tell the rest of the house. "I don't want them to know tonight. Please, Cana. They're all so happy right now."

"But Lucy, they'll be upset that they didn't get to help you through this. They don't want to be happy if you're miserable," Cana said softly.

"I know, but… I'll tell them tomorrow. Then we can do girly break up stuff, and I'll feel better. But tonight…"

"Tonight, I am taking Lucy off-campus to get very, very drunk," Erza said. Lucy and Cana both stared at the redhead for a moment.

"Well, shit, then I'm coming, too," Cana declared with a grin.

"No, I need you to run interference in case anyone questions our absence. Tell them whatever you need to, but do not tell them about Natsu. That is for Lucy to do when she's ready."

Cana grumbled for a bit longer, but she finally agreed to the plan. When Lucy finally managed to stop crying, Cana helped her turn into a "manhunting mega-vixen" before she went back downstairs for the rom-com movie night Meredy and Juvia had organized. Lucy and Erza quietly slipped down the stairs and out the backdoor before sprinting behind the houses to the backyard of Crime Sorciere.


	3. Day 1, Part 3

**Day 1: Eternity**

 **Part 3**

 **"Scene Seven: The Dance of Eternity" by Dream Theater**

 **(Also, "Sister Sara" by Alice Cooper)**

 **(August)**

* * *

"No, I swear to god it's true," Macbeth said animatedly. "I just talked to Ultear, and one of their new pledges told her she was outside the library when this blonde with a huge rack started swearing at a pink-haired guy. The girl didn't know who they were, but it's pretty obvious it was the pretty Heartfilia and Dragneel."

"And how does that prove she dumped him?" Erik asked. He tried to sound as bored with the conversation as possible.

"Cobra, really?" Macbeth asked with an arched brow. "Have you ever seen that princess drop an F-bomb? Like ever? And from what Ultear heard from this chick, she was throwing 'em around like dolla-dolla bills."

"Use that reference again and I will castrate you," Erik sighed. "And maybe she swears like that all the time. We don't hang out. You don't hang out. Last night was the most time either of us has spent in a room with her in… probably ever."

"Well, she was upset last night when she and Erza arrived," Freed joined in. He began to add to the thought, but Jellal entered the room with the two Fairy Tail women trailing behind him.

Erik was fairly certain his heart stopped beating for a few seconds when she walked into the room. He half-expected her to do that slow-mo entrance popular in teen movies, whipping her curled blond hair around her face to accentuate her cat-eye liner and bright red lips while slowly moving from foot to foot to show off the silky blue dress that caressed her curves and left her long legs wonderfully bare. He remembered to breathe when his view of her was blocked by Ultear going to welcome her public arch nemesis but actual best friend. Erik wasn't entirely sure how Jellal's girlfriend dealt with all the cloak and dagger shit, and he really didn't get why she bothered.

He edged slowly to the left to bring Lucy into view again. She was looking between Erza and Ultear with undisguised confusion as they chatted amiably. Erik chuckled. The fairy was getting her world twisted all around the last couple of days. He tried to subtly move closer so he could eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So is it true?" Ultear asked. "Did you dump the flaming moron?"

"How did you hear about that?" Lucy stammered. Her face turned pink. She really hadn't intended to out Natsu, but if people had overheard more than just the part of the conversation where she essentially told him to shove it… Shit. She was the worst. No, wait, he was still the worst for cheating on her, but no one deserved to have their secret revealed like that.

"From what I've heard, you were yelling about him fucking someone else. So spill it. Who was it?"

"Ultear, back off," Erza said quietly. "It's still a very sore topic. We're here to forget about it, not spread the rumors further."

The president of Grimoire Heart bowed her head and nodded.

"My apologies, Lucy," Ultear said. "Now, I believe we all came here for a party?"

Lucy smiled as the other woman shoved a full shotglass into her hand. Lucy didn't know much about the members of Grimoire Heart other than what some of the Sabers and her own sorority sisters said about them: witches, demons, and cutthroats. After a short time with Ultear and Minerva, Lucy was inclined to think they were actually just like the women she met at her father's soirees who didn't come attached to a parent or husband but on their own merit. It became apparent very quickly why Erza was actually friends with them, even if she couldn't appear to be in public.

Compared to the Sabertooth event the night before, the Crime Sorciere party was dreadfully tame. Liquor and snacks abounded, and a mix of indie rock and metal music played in the background, but the best part was the conversation. Lucy found herself speaking about poetry with Rufus before getting distracted by discussing Broadway shows with Freed. Then, she was dragged off by Lahar to debate the finer points of dictatorial versus senatorial law in the Star Wars universe. Max finally butted in that Star Trek was superior anyway, and Azuma nearly caused both Max and Lahar to stroke out when he posited that Stargate was actually a more enjoyable universe. Two hours into the evening and Lucy was barely buzzed but having a far better time than she ever had at the Saber ragers.

She found herself alone for a moment. She poured a glass of wine and hummed along to the song; it was an instrumental by one of her favorite groups. The discordant beats and melodies detailing an asylum patient's descent into madness seemed like an odd choice for a party, but she found it a lot better than listening to the same Katy Perry and/or Kanye West songs on repeat like she had the night before.

"You know Dream Theater?" A voice murmured. She shivered a little as the breath ghosted over her ear. She turned to find herself nose-to-nose with Erik Cobranus, her boyfriend's arch nemesis. No, her ex-boyfriend's arch nemesis. She really needed to remember the 'ex' part.

"They're one of my favorite bands," Lucy whispered back. She thought she saw a flicker of interest in his single midnight blue eye. She tried not to let her gaze wander to the scar tissue covering his right eye, but she knew she failed. She quickly flicked her gaze away from the scar. He drew back a bit with a slight sigh.

"I'm used to people staring; it really doesn't bother me anymore," Erik said. "I usually wear a patch, but I forgot about it tonight."

"Sorry, I was just thinking—." Lucy stopped abruptly and her eyes widened marginally at what she had almost said. Had she really just been thinking that the scar just made him look sexier? And had she seriously almost admitted it to him? Erik cocked his head to the side as he looked at her, and she couldn't help but think he looked like a puppy trying to figure out a new object. She giggled.

"So…" Lucy said. She rubbed her arm self-consciously as she wondered what to say to get the awkward turtles moving out of here fast before they could breed. Everything that popped into her head had to do with the few things she knew about him: Kinesiology major, Senior, Crime Sorciere member, hated by her ex. None of those seemed like particularly good topics for conversation.

"So…" Erik unconsciously mimicked her. Unlike some of his frat brothers, Erik rarely had trouble talking to women, if he bothered talking to women, but for some reason he couldn't think of a damn thing to say to her now that he had her attention. All he knew about her was: English major, Junior, Fairy Tail member, apparently ex-girlfriend of his most hated foe. Yeah, none of those were appealing.

"Lucy!" Max exclaimed as he grabbed her arm lightly. "This is terribly important."

"Still trying to settle the Star universe debate?" Lucy asked with a giggle.

"No, we've moved on from that. Marvel or DC?"

"Marvel," Lucy said instantly.

"DC," Erik replied at the same time. They glanced at each other with mock glares.

"Are you shitting me? DC just has freaking Superman, who is a pansy aside from his overkill powers, and Batman, who is a mopey bastard with tons of money and zero superpowers. Wonder Woman is halfway decent, but her villains are weird as shit, and she kind of started representing the repression of women after her creator stopped writing the comics."

"Spiderman is way mopier than Batman, and hello, Captain America? Talk about stick shoved firmly up ass. And Marvel has a superhero named Ant Man. What is that shit?"

"Oh yeah, and what's Aquaman?"

Erik paused. He scowled.

"Alright, I don't have a solid rebuttal for that one, but DC's storylines are better."

"Psh, that's subjective."

"It's all subjective, Power Girl," Erik said. He seriously hoped she wouldn't catch the reference to her giant and mostly exposed chest.

"Art in general is subjective, Cyclops," Lucy replied. She mentally punched herself in the face for that slip-up. She'd meant it as an X-Men reference to combat his DC jab that she was pretty sure was about her tits, but given his ocular condition…

"What in life is truly objective, Sue?"

"Oh, that's just insulting, comparing me to the epitome of a 50s housewife, Hawkeye."

"Name one comic book female who wasn't created with the express purpose of objectifying and/or dehumanizing women, Catwoman."

"Shouldn't that be my line, Thor?"

"Should we separate them?" Jellal asked quietly from a short distance away. Erza surveyed her sister and the VP of Crime Sorciere as they began debating the role of women in comics while throwing out increasingly ludicrous superhero reference nicknames for each other.

"No, if Scary Lucy makes an appearance, she'll deal with him," Erza decided.

"Scary Lucy?" Instead of replying, Erza decided now was the time to take her boyfriend upstairs.

"Oh my god is this Alice Cooper?" Lucy exclaimed as the first beats of a new song rolled through the room. Lucy grinned and set her glass on the table as she began swaying to the music.

 _"Now, I don't know, but I've been told, there's a nun having fun and she lost her soul,"_ Erik sang along with the song's opening lines. His mouth went dry as her hips moved. Her hands moved up to run through her hair before sliding down her body as she danced. He stopped breathing when she sang along with the breathy female harmony.

 _"Whatever happened to me, can't remember my name, flying so high on angelic wings, flew too close to the flames."_

Lucy reached out and grabbed his hand. She spun into him as she continued to move to the music. Her delicious ass pressed into him every other beat, and Erik found himself moving along with her while he continued singing huskily in her ear. He hated his singing voice, but it was actually perfectly suited for Alice Cooper.

 _"Sister Sara, it's your penalty for eternity, did you think that you were saved?"_

Erik was vaguely aware that he did not dance with anyone, ever. Nor did he sing to anyone, ever. He would love to blame alcohol for his current actions, but he'd only had a couple of beers the whole night because he didn't want to make an ass of himself in front of this woman. Apparently she was intoxicating enough on her own.

 _"It's my job to drag you down, 'cuz it's a one-way ticket to dragontown."_

Lucy spun out and back in, twirling under his arm, so she was facing him while gripping both of his hands. She maintained heavy eye contact as she dragged his hands down to her waist before running her hands up through her hair to make it fall back seductively around her smooth neck. Erik desperately wanted to nibble at the unblemished skin.

 _"You forget your old identity, who you used to be, Sister Sara, so depraved."_

Her hands snaked up to tease the back of his head, and her face dropped into the crook of his neck as she closed the gap between them. One of her legs slipped in between his as she sang the background harmony against his skin, so that he was sure she could feel his erratic pulse through her softly moving lips.

 _"Moment to moment, hour to hour, forever and ever."_

 _"Time after time after time after time after time,"_ Erik finished the verse. The song spoke of sin and depravity sending a woman to hell, but he felt like he was definitely in heaven. His fingers itched to travel those last two inches down to cup her ass, but he refrained.

Lucy reluctantly stepped away from him as the song ended. A few cheers and some applause rang out through the room; somebody even wolf whistled. Lucy fought the urge to blush and smiled brightly as she took a bow.

"Sorry about that, some songs just demand to be danced to," Lucy laughed as she turned back to Erik. She felt her heart rate pick up at the look he was giving her. Okay, so maybe it was really just an excuse to feel his rough hands and that amazingly toned body he was barely concealing with his gray v-neck, but he didn't need to know that. He smirked at her, and damn it was hot. Lucy felt a deep heat gathering low in her body. She tried to remember just how long it had been since she'd gotten laid. She was pretty sure it was back at the beginning of the summer, so something like three months. Way too long as far as she was concerned.

"I'm definitely not complaining," he said. His voice was still husky as it had been when he'd sung along with Alice Cooper. The man had one hell of a bedroom voice.

Lucy picked her cup back up and took a deep drink of her wine. She kind of wished it was something stronger. She'd been with Natsu for two years, and she'd never dated much in high school, so she wasn't really used to this type of singledom. Her heart ached a little at the thought of Natsu, but as her eyes drifted back to Erik, she wondered if maybe she'd found the temporary cure for that particular ailment.

"It's kind of stuffy in here," Lucy said. She hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she felt right now. "I think I'm going to step outside. Care to join?"

Erik looked mildly surprised by the sudden offer, but he nodded. Lucy drained her glass and set it back on the table before heading to the backdoor in the middle of the giant living room. She may or may not have purposely swayed her hips more than usual as she led the way outside. She took a seat on the concrete steps, which were just wide enough for two people. Lucy gazed up at the stars as Erik settled beside her.

"It's too bad there's so much light pollution from campus," Lucy said. "Can't see nearly enough stars here."

"It's better from the treehouse. There's even a telescope," Erik said. Lucy blinked at him for a moment.

"Treehouse?"

"Over there." Erik pointed to a stand of trees just at the far edge of the yard. Lucy squinted, and she could just barely make out a shape with too many sharp angles to be a natural part of the trees. Erik grabbed her hand and started dragging her across the yard. "Come on, Emma. I think you'll dig this."

"Emma Frost, huh?" Lucy giggled as she let him lead her. She practically had to jog to keep up with his ground-eating strides.

"Well, I would call you Rogue, but we have a pledge who's already taken that name for himself," Erik said. He turned back slightly to catch her eye, and her breath caught in her throat. Was there any angle he didn't look good from?

They stopped at the base of the tree, and Erik released her hand before he leaped up to snag the bottom of a ladder and pull it down. He gestured for her to go on up. Lucy knew it was probably an excuse for him to stare at her ass as she climbed, but she couldn't really see a negative to that. She took off her heels and tossed them at the base of the tree before she started scaling the ladder. She crawled over the edge to find a platform that stretched through four or five trees. The wood had been cut to allow for future growth, and the smooth trunks continued a little ways overhead before sprouting branches and leaves again. She stared up at the thick canopy until Erik came up behind her and laid a hand on the small of her back. He guided her around one of the trunks, and she finally saw the real treehouse.

It was hard to judge the size from outside, but once he unlocked and opened the door, she realized Crime Sorciere had a small apartment in their backyard. There was a mini-kitchen and full bar facing an area with a king-size bed and several bean bag chairs around a coffee table. A small flight of stairs edged the wall by the bean bags.

"Want something to drink?" Erik asked as he headed for the bar.

"You keep it stocked out here?" She asked in surprise.

"We try to." He poured a few things into a mixer and filled it with ice from the freezer. As he shook the container, he dumped some more ice cubes in a glass before straining in the mixture.

"Sure, I'll just have whatever you're having," Lucy said.

She realized she must look really awkward just standing in the doorway, so she strolled over to the bar and took a seat on one of the simple wooden stools. She eyed him appreciatively as he mixed her a drink, too. Usually Cana was her bartender, and the brunette didn't make the act of mixing drinks look half as sexy as this man did. He set the glass in front of her with his smirk back in place, and Lucy realized she had been openly staring at him. _Way to play it cool, Lucy_ , she mentally chastised herself.

"What do you think?" He asked as she took a sip.

"That might be the best whiskey sour I've ever had," Lucy said happily. It was damned hard to find someone who could make it properly, which was weird since it was such a simple drink in theory.

"Drink them much?" He asked with a lifted eyebrow. Lucy nodded.

"One of my favorites."

Erik filed that information away for later. He walked around the bar to grab her hand again and help her off the stool. He kept his hold on her hand as he led her up the stairs to the open loft. He had to release her hand temporarily as he pushed open the sealed hatch at the top, but once he stepped through, he offered a hand up. He wasn't sure why he was so fascinated with her touch, but he was going to use every possible opportunity to keep her hand in his, or whatever other bit of skin-to-skin contact he could get.

"How in the hell did you guys manage this?" Lucy gasped. The roof of the treehouse apartment was flat save for a waist-high railing around the edge. It sat just under the top of the trees, so Lucy had an unobstructed view in every direction while she could see leaves and branches all around her. She giggled. "I feel like a freaking bird."

"That was the idea," Erik said with an actual smile. "Richard's really good with his hands, and Max is a genius with architecture. The rest of us mostly just tried to lend a hand without fucking anything up royally."

"But how did you get the right permits for something this size?"

"Lahar. You know he's pre-law? The man's a fountain of legal knowledge; he did all of the research for us when the plan was first proposed. All together, it really didn't take much to get it going. Now, come here."

He led her across the roof, and she finally noticed a hulking shape directly in the middle. Erik pulled the tarp off to reveal a telescope. When he'd first mentioned there was one, she thought of the little tripod variety with an aperture maybe an inch or two in diameter. No. Of course, the campus geek squad had an 8-inch behemoth for their stargazing.

"Know how to operate one of these?" Erik asked.

"Of course, pretty sure I have the same model at home," Lucy said.

Erik tried to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Since her arrival at the party that evening, she had been surprising him constantly from completely nerding out with his brothers to her music tastes. He watched her fiddle expertly with the dials as she searched out the part of the sky she wanted. He was fascinated by the movement of her delicate fingers, the way her blond curls waved in the slight breeze, and how her silky dress slipped tighter over her hips and rose ever so slightly higher on her thighs as she bent to look through the eyepiece. He bit back a groan. How the hell had Dragneel let her go? He knew his nemesis was a moron, but for fuck's sake…

"Hello, Earth to Erik," Lucy said. She waved a hand in front of his face as he stared off into space. When her words didn't trigger a response, she took another step forward and very slowly lifted her hand towards his face with one finger extended. "Boop."

Erik blinked and stared at the digit still lightly touching his nose. He had to cross his eye to do it, and Lucy giggled at the sight.

"Did you just boop me?" He asked. Lucy's giggle turned into full-blown bubbling laughter that shook her small frame so hard that she fell into his chest. Erik's arms snapped out to wrap around her on instinct. Her chest heaved against him as she tried to breathe through the mirth, and her fingers fell to graze his neck. She looked up at him as her laughter died down, and stopped completely when his face suddenly dipped down to capture her lips with his.

He couldn't help it. When she looked up at him with that happy smile gracing her full lips, he couldn't hold back anymore. He tried to pull back when he realized what he was doing, but her arms had found their way around his neck, and she was pulling him closer with those delicate fingers twisted in his hair. He tightened his arms around her, sliding one hand slowly up her back to caress her neck, and she sighed against him. His tongue darted in between her parted lips. Her own tongue responded skillfully as she tried to remove any lingering distance between their bodies. He tasted the slight linger of whiskey and sugary lemon from her cocktail. He mentally groaned at the reminder that she'd been drinking, so this situation was so not okay.

Lucy whimpered and nipped at his bottom lip as he delicately pulled himself away from her. The force of will the simple movement took was not pretty. His resolve was nearly dashed as he looked down at her. Her lips were slightly swollen from the heated kiss, and her eyes screamed desire.

"Erik," she whispered. Another nail sank into the coffin she was constructing for his good intentions at the breathy sound of his name.

"We should stop," Erik forced the words to pass his lips, while his already throbbing cock screamed obscenities at him for even thinking such a thing.

"Why?" Lucy asked. She didn't get it. He'd kissed her first. Was she a bad kisser? Surely not, Cana had taught her how to French in high school, and her best friend had assured her that she was a natural.

"I don't want you to regret any rash decisions in the morning," Erik said. He wanted to be as honest as possible with her, but damn it was hard when he could still see her impressive cleavage moving with her breath.

"You think I'm drunk, don't you?" Lucy sighed. She smiled at his slight nod. "While I'm feeling delicious right now, I'm not drunk. I doubt you'll ever hear these words from me in any other circumstance ever again, but put the chivalry aside for a second. As amazingly hot as it is that you're concerned, there's no need for you to worry. I know exactly what I want."

Lucy had moved her lips closer to his a millimeter at a time as she spoke. One of her hands slipped from his neck and down his chest. Her fingertips ghosted over his hip, and his breath caught as she held him with her gaze. She didn't move her hand any lower, but her intentions were clear. Still, he just needed that final clarification.

"And what do you want?"

"You. Naked. Five minutes ago. Actually more like half an hour ago, but now is equally acceptable," Lucy said with a smirk. Erik answered her with a smirk of his own. He pulled her in for another breath-stealing kiss.


	4. Day 2, Part 1

**AH! Day two is late, but I have a very good excuse! I spent 11 hours yesterday driving to my aunt's place just north of San Antonio because this week happens to coincide with my vacation. It's actually only an 8 hour drive, but I love road trips, so I decided to take my sweet time. Meant to post this when I got here, but I forgot to get the WiFi password from her last night. So sorry! But here's the three-parter for Day 2 :)**

 **And thanks to summercharizard, papalogia, XxLunaNightingalexX for reviewing, and everybody who has followed and faved! :D**

* * *

 **Day 2: Excuses**

 **Part 1**

 **"Excuses" by The Morning Benders**

 **(August)**

* * *

Birds. Really loud birds.

Those were Lucy's first clear thoughts as she struggled towards wakefulness. The second clear thought was that it was too damn bright. The third was that half of her was extremely comfortable and the other half was extremely not. She blinked rapidly as her eyes tried to adjust to the bright sunlight beating down on her. Why exactly was the sun so intense? Her bedroom faced north, so direct sunlight wasn't really an issue in the morning. And why did her bed feel so weird?

"Morning, Miss Frost," a husky voice murmured in her ear. All of her other thoughts blew away with the breeze as the voice of her current bed made her knees go weak and her insides turn to straight up jelly. She turned her head slightly to lock eyes (well, eye) with Erik. There was a tiny voice in her head screaming in panic, but it was overwhelmed by the contentment the rest of her felt. Of course, she was only half-lying on Erik, so her lower half was decidedly less pleased with the situation. Lucy pushed herself to sit and hissed as her leg met a bit of rough wood.

"Maybe this wasn't the best place to pass out," Lucy said as she rubbed at the spot.

"Yeah, I think I might have splinters in my ass," Erik said.

Lucy giggled. She located her dress next to the telescope and her undergarments on the other side of the roof. She noted the slight protest of her thighs as she slid her clothes back on. Erik watched her covertly as he found his own clothing scattered across the roof. He spotted a sock lodged in the branches just out of reach and sighed. He'd let nature have that one.

"Well, there's something to cross off my bucket list. Sleeping naked under the stars? Check. But I really hope there's no one out and about right now," Lucy said with a groan. "Maybe I'll get lucky and everyone will have slept in."

They both glanced at the sun, which was nearly directly overhead. She told herself there was still a slight chance. It was the weekend, and classes hadn't started, yet, so maybe everyone had decided to sleep until 2 or later like Cana usually did. A girl could hope anyway.

"We could just hide out here until nightfall," Erik offered. "There's a fully stocked fridge, and the bed is damned comfortable."

Thoughts of what uses they could put a comfortable bed to zipped through Lucy's mind, and she was sorely tempted to take him up on the offer. But, there was still Erza who would probably be worrying about her, plus the other girls. Lucy knew that Cana wouldn't be able to keep herself from telling them about the break up with Natsu for too long, and she needed to get to them first so they didn't stain the walls of Sabertooth red with his blood. Shaking her head at the torrent of disparate thoughts, Lucy looked up to find Erik watching her with a carefully neutral expression.

She suddenly had no idea how to act. She didn't regret spending the night mostly not sleeping with him, but now she didn't know what he was expecting from her. He'd hinted with his offer of hiding out that he'd like to see more of her or at least fuck her again, but which of those two was it? Lucy bit her lip nervously.

Erik watched as various expressions flitted over the blonde's face. The woman was really bad at hiding her emotions, and right now, she was giving him all kinds of mixed signals. He really hoped this wasn't just a one off for her. Her body was like a gift from the gods, but he was also intrigued by her as a person on multiple levels. He definitely didn't regret the night, but he was feeling a bit self-conscious about unthinkingly situating himself as her rebound.

"So…" Lucy finally said. She glanced up at him again, but somehow Erik had gone from a few feet away to only a few inches away from her. She gazed up into his single eye, and she was pretty sure he had some sort of hypnotist talent because she could not look away.

"So…" He echoed her as he closed that little distance between them. He still wasn't actually touching her even though he desperately wanted to. Her brown eyes widened as he moved closer, but she didn't back away. She licked her lips, and his gaze dropped to follow the movement. The air vibrated with tension.

"Hey, Cobra, you up here?" The tension shattered, and Lucy took a step back from Erik as a head appeared through the hatch.

"What do you want, Macbeth?" Erik asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wanted to snap at his oldest friend for ruining the moment.

"Erza's on the warpath looking for her VP. Oh, hello," Macbeth said as he noticed Lucy. "Want to come down now so maybe she won't raze our house to the ground?"

Lucy sighed. She really did have to face reality now. She started towards the stairs before throwing another glance at Erik, whose fists were clenched at his sides, and his expression was slightly pained. He relaxed when he caught her looking and threw a half-smile at her. Macbeth disappeared down the stairs.

"Hey, thanks for last night," she said. "Do you think maybe… like, would you want to do it again?" Stupid Lucy! She shouted at herself. That sounded so… so… lame. And maybe a little skanky. She couldn't look Erik in the face after she finished, and her face turned bright red.

"Like a no strings deal?" Erik asked slowly. Her eyes shot to him when he responded, and he looked thoughtful. Lucy nodded.

"I'm not really ready for a relationship. I mean, not that you'd necessarily want that, either, but I mean, I just dumped my cheating ex, and last night was really nice, even before the sex, so yeah, I mean, I'd like to, you know, spend more time with you. If you're into that. I mean, I get it if you're not it's just—."

Erik silenced her by striding to her and planting a solid kiss on her lips.

"Friends with benefits sounds like a plan," Erik said. He silently added, _For now_.

"Okay, cool," Lucy said. She felt her face heating up again, and she nearly sprinted down the steep stairs.

Erik watched the spot where she had vanished for a few more moments. It wasn't ideal, but he understood that she wasn't ready to jump into another relationship, especially when she let slip the reason she'd dumped Dragneel. Erik half-hoped he'd get an excuse to fight the guy again soon just so he could fuck up his face for hurting someone like Lucy. He still didn't know her that well, but Erik was already fascinated by what little he had discovered at the party, and he wanted to get to know her better now.

Jellal was desperately trying to calm down his irate girlfriend when Lucy walked into the living room. She noted that his normally smoothed hair was spiked in multiple directions while Erza sported a similarly rumpled coif. She watched them argue for a moment before she decided to rescue the poor man.

"Erza, I'm right here," Lucy said. Red and blue heads whipped to face her when Lucy spoke. She shuffled self-consciously in place as they stared at her. Erza started towards her with her mouth set in her most severe line, and Lucy backed up instinctively only to collide with another person.

"We should really stop running into each other like this," Erik said. Lucy blushed, but the bad joke seemed to lighten the mood. For her at least. Erza's face was almost the color of her hair as she witnessed Lucy not bothering to step away from the VP of Crime Sorciere. She and Jellal had disappeared for a bit of alone time just as Lucy and Cobra began dancing the night before, so she hadn't seen them leave together. Jellal looked ready to choke on his own spit, too.

"We should probably head out, Erza. If we're lucky, most of the girls won't be up, yet," Lucy said. She turned to face Erik and smiled before gently shoving him out of the way to head back out the door. She winked as she said, "See you around, Gambit."

She heard a small shriek from Erza, but she kept walking. She assumed the redhead would follow her. Honestly, Erza was the one who had been sneaking around with Jellal freaking Fernandez for who knew how long; why was Lucy possibly starting something with Erik so shocking?

"Lucy." The blonde came to an abrupt stop on the stairs when Erza tugged violently on her right arm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going home?" Lucy asked.

"I meant with Erik, smarty pants." Lucy really wanted to giggle at the kindergarten teacher side of Erza that was showing in full force, but she refrained. The president of Fairy Tail could be incredibly terrifying when she wanted to, and Lucy wasn't interested in seeing that side of her when she was having such a good morning.

"Getting over Natsu?" Lucy said softly. Erza's face softened.

"I can't really fault you for that," Erza said. She hooked her arm with Lucy's and the two began walking back to their house. "Still, I don't want you to get over being hurt by him just to be hurt by someone else. And I don't want Erik to get hurt here, either. He's a good man. More than a bit rough around the edges, but good nonetheless."

"Erza, why haven't you told anyone about your friendship with Crime Sorciere?" Lucy asked quietly. Erza stopped. They were nearly home, but neither really wanted to discuss this inside the house where they might be overheard.

"You know why, Lucy. Fairy Tail means everything to me. I love Jellal, and once we've finished this year, I won't have to hide that anymore, but… you know our sisters. I love them, but they're set in their ways. They care about appearances. Too many people have issues with Crime Sorciere. It…It would jeopardize…"

"I get it, Erza," Lucy stopped her. She started walking again. "That's why no one can know about me and Erik, either."

They tried to slip in the back door unnoticed, but Juvia was sitting at the kitchen island with Meredy. Both girls squealed, which brought more sisters, and it became obvious that Cana had not been able to keep quiet about Natsu's infidelity. Lucy felt tears gathering in her eyes as she was swarmed by a dozen girls promising to exact revenge and to set her up with far more worthy men. She had never been happier that she took her mother's advice to join the sorority.

"Somebody grab the cookie dough and _The Notebook_!" Meredy yelled.

"No! Lucy hates that movie. Put in _Moulin Rouge_ ," Cana yelled back. Lucy smiled through the tears that were now falling in earnest. The girls allowed her to go change into pajamas while they gathered the necessary post-break up materials for a day in at the house.

Once she rejoined them, she knew that this was exactly what she needed. The night with Erik definitely helped to push Natsu out of her head, but she knew that mere distraction wasn't going to help her get over him. She needed to face the pain, maybe wallow in it a bit, and then start to move on from it. She wanted there to be absolutely no chance of her falling for her ex again if he decided to crawl back to her.

Between laughing (and crying) at the star-crossed lovers in her favorite musical, Lucy answered the many, many questions of her sisters. Talking about it made her sob all over again at first, but as the day moved on and they switched from _Moulin Rouge_ to _Definitely, Maybe_ and from cookie dough to brownie batter, Lucy felt the crushing weight of her ex's betrayal receding, if only temporarily.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy cursed under her breath as she sprinted to the business building for her Intro to Entrepeneurship class. It wasn't like there was anything important going to happen on the first day, but she really hated being late. Her father had instilled in her from a young age that arriving late to an appointment showed a grave lack of respect for another person's time. Granted, his real point had been that this could ruin business deals, but Lucy had derived from the lesson that being late could screw you six ways to Sunday faster than any other snafu.

She skidded around a corner searching for the room and reached it just as the professor started to close the door. He raised an eyebrow at her, but let her pass him into the room before shutting the door and walking to the podium. She glanced around for an empty seat and sank into the first one available in the front row without thinking. Lucy settled into the seat and tried to catch her breath as the professor immediately launched into the syllabus, which was projected on the screen at the front of the room.

Her heart rate had finally reached a normal level when the prof reached the assignments portion of the syllabus. He had pretty much skimmed through everything else while telling them to read it on their own later on the course website.

"Exams are the bulk of the grade along with a partner project due at the end of the semester. I suggest working on the project over time throughout the semester, as it isn't something you can complete overnight, though I'm sure many of you will try." He scrolled down and zoomed in on the project. "Your partner will be the person next to you, which means you two, you two, and so on down the rows. Consider it your first lesson in dealing with people, which is a hugely understated facet of running your own business."

"As I said, the syllabus is available online, read it at your leisure. For the rest of the class time, get to know your new project partner." Without bothering to take questions or offer even a backhanded glance, the prof strode from the room. Lucy blinked at the speed of his departure for a moment before glancing to her left to find out who she'd be working with on whatever the hell this big project was. Her blinking increased as she faced the single midnight blue eye of her new partner, the other eye covered by a black patch with an image of a purple dragon in the middle.

"I look forward to working with you, Miss Frost," Erik murmured. He kept his face impassive in case anyone else in the class knew the two of them, but Lucy caught the glint of mirth in his eye.

"What the hell are you doing in an intro to entrepreneurship course?" Lucy hissed.

"How about we grab some coffee, and I'll tell you about it," Erik said.

Lucy weighed the pros and cons. Pro was definitely getting to spend some time with Erik. She hadn't seen him since the morning after the party, which had admittedly only been four days ago, but she found herself using thoughts of him to distract from the still recent ache of losing Natsu. Con was if someone saw them. On the pro side, if anyone did see them, she could blame the project. Lucy tried to tone down the giant smile that threatened to cover her face, but she was pretty sure she failed. One corner of Erik's lips tilted up in response. It was only as they were leaving that she took a look at any of their other classmates and saw Sting sitting next to the potential pledge who had pegged Lucy with a ping pong ball at the Saber party. The blond Saber quickly averted his eyes when she caught his gaze, and she swore he blushed. Not bothering to spare him another thought, she quickly followed Erik out of the small lecture hall.

Once they had their drinks from the library café, Erik unwittingly chose the same bench where Lucy had dumped Natsu. She let the pain of the memories wash over her for a moment before steadfastly pushing them aside to focus on her project partner.

"Alright, why are you taking this class? Impress me," Lucy said.

She crossed her legs as she settled into the bench, and Erik couldn't help following the movement with his eye as her black mini-skirt shifted a millimeter higher on her thighs. He cleared his throat and forced himself to look her in the eye, and he could tell she'd caught his previous fascination. She really could be too damned observant for his own good.

"I needed an elective," he said with a shrug. "And I have a thought of starting my own business one day."

"What kind of business?" Lucy asked with genuine curiosity. She had been raised by two entrepreneurs who turned their tiny shipping business into an empire in a couple of decades.

"A gym," Erik said. He found it difficult to talk about his dream, and he didn't really like going into his reasons, but he wanted her to know him as much as he wanted to know her. "Specifically a place for disillusioned youth with a focus on teaching mixed martial arts."

Lucy smiled. She could tell he was having trouble getting the words out, so she appreciated him telling her that much. He could have just left it at 'a gym' and let her think he was a fitness freak, but instead he let her see just a little more of the Erik behind the scar and scowl.

"So what about you?" Erik asked. "I would think you'd know all about this class material already considering who your parents are."

"Sure I know about launching a shipping business over 20 years ago, but that doesn't really help me in the present time with starting a different kind of company," Lucy said with a laugh. "I know I'm in a slightly different position because of my parents, but that doesn't mean there isn't more I can learn. Besides, I've got electives to fill, too, and this class also counts for the business gen. ed. in place of economics.

"Anyway," Lucy continued after another sip of chai. "I'm glad I was late today. I probably wouldn't have had the guts to sit next to you on purpose, and there's no telling who I could have been stuck with for this project."

"It is convenient that it gives us an excuse to spend time together. In public even," Erik said lightly. Lucy could tell he was miffed, though. His right hand was resting on the bench between them, and Lucy reached out to cover it with her own. She hated that she had to resist the urge to glance around to make sure no one was observing them as she did it.

"Erik, you know how things are. If even Erza, the freaking president of my sorority, can't be openly involved with her actual boyfriend, how am I supposed to be open about my… this… with you?"

He glanced down at their hands, which were conveniently hidden by their bodies from anyone other than birds flying overhead. He sighed; both because he knew she was right and because he could already tell this would be an issue for him down the road. Jellal had been dating Erza on the down-low for over a year, and Erik still didn't understand how the man managed to either keep the secret or deal with the emotional turbulence it had to cause. But glancing into Lucy's earnest brown eyes, he figured it was probably worth it.

"So, I'll keep you my dirty little secret?" Erik asked as he tried to hide his smile.

"Oh holy throwback!" Lucy exclaimed with a giggle. "Didn't take you for a pop/rock listener, Gambit."

"We all make mistakes in youth," he said. He rose to his feet and extended his arms upwards in a stretch that accentuated his pecs under the black button down. "Anyway, any longer sitting here like this and someone might actually notice us."

Lucy stood, too. Erik extended his hand for her to shake as though they were just two fellow students with no real connection. Lucy shook his hand and had to duck her head to hide a smile as he slipped a piece of paper into her palm. He gave her a sloppy salute before he walked away. She waited until she was in her next class to smooth out the small sheet of notebook paper with a phone number scrawled at the top above the words: Treehouse. 10:30. A tiny drawing of a coiled snake rested in the bottom corner.

She smiled as she thought, _I could get used to this cloak and dagger shit._

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy made it through the first week of classes without running into Natsu at all. She knew that wouldn't last. Their houses were too closely knit for her to really avoid seeing him. Actually, Fairy Tail was hosting an informal social in a week. Lucy had been collaborating with Juvia on finances while their secretary Levy helped her fully plan the event. It was just a small gathering really: a way to introduce their respective pledges to each other and kill a Friday night. Lucy enlisted the help of Yukino to go shopping for decorations and food.

"Settling into the dorms okay?" Lucy asked as they strolled through town. Although they were technically shopping for party supplies, Lucy didn't see any harm in doing a little personal shopping at the same time.

"It's a bit cramped, and my roommate is weird, but otherwise yes," Yukino said softly.

"Weird how?"

"She's pledging Grimoire Heart for one thing. But she hardly seems like the focused businesswoman that sorority is known for churning out. She has this weird obsession with fire. Plus she spends half of her time listening to k-pop and the other half complaining about her major."

"Which is?"

"Philosophy."

"That does seem an odd major for a Heart," Lucy agreed.

"Oh! Lucy can we—," Yukino began excitedly but suddenly stopped with a faint blush. "Never mind."

"Can we what?" Lucy asked. She glanced across the street to see a new comic book store had popped up over the summer. Her gaze fell back to the platinum blonde beside her who was studiously staring up the road in the direction they had been walking.

"Hey, I'm going to check out that comic book store. You want to come? If not, I can meet you somewhere else, but I want to see if they have something I can add to my X-Men collection."

Lucy thought Yukino's eyes were going to burst from her skull. Her Little's mouth dropped open for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. Yukino nodded, and the two jaywalked to reach the new store. A small bell over the door tinkled as they entered, and Lucy nearly had a nerdgasm at the sight before her. Graduated shelves housed the neatly organized comics, with boxes stuffed under each shelf, that she figured contained more of them. The far wall was covered in superhero artwork above a checkout counter, and most of the art exhibited small price tags. The wall to the left had shelves of figurines, comic-themed games, and some hardbound volumes.

"Help you find anything?" A man to her left said. Lucy glanced over, and she was surprised to see a heavily blushing Macbeth. She started to greet him warmly, but she heard a small gasp behind her which reminded Lucy that she wasn't alone.

"Any good X-Men?" Lucy asked with a small smile.

"Middle row, sixth through eighth sections."

Lucy wandered towards the shelves he'd indicated, and she was surprised to find that Yukino stayed near the door. She flicked through the comics in front of her while surreptitiously watching as Macbeth led Yukino across to the wall with the hardback volumes. She vaguely remembered Sorano getting worked up over something to do with one of the "criminal witches" trying to sully her younger sister's honor last year. Lucy smiled to herself. If Yukino was interested in Macbeth, she didn't want to stand in the way, though she did wonder just how old he was. Come to think of it, how old was Erik?

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone come up beside her.

"Lucy, it's good to see you. How are you?" Jellal asked. Lucy turned to meet his brown eyes, and she smiled.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Everything is going well. How is Erza?"

"It's a tough semester for her, but she's off to a great start from what I can tell. Full of energy and all that," Lucy said.

She felt like she had entered some weird twilight zone where she was suddenly on great terms with the geek squad and yet stuck in some formal mode at the same time. Then again, that could just be Jellal's personality. After exchanging a few more pleasantries and finding a couple of new comics, Lucy collected Yukino and paid so they could continue their actual mission.

After confirming details with the caterer to deliver snacks to the house the next week, they hit up the local craft store and spent a good hour picking flowers and ribbon for the pledges to turn into garlands and centerpieces. Arms full of bags, Lucy suggested they grab a late lunch at a nearby café before taking their haul back to the house. They dumped their bags under an outdoor table. Lucy let out a long relieved breath as she leaned back in the metal chair and let the sun wash over her face before the waiter came to take their orders.

"Is it weird that the mixer is going to be kind of girly?" Yukino asked as she sipped her water.

"No, the guys are used it at the beginning of the year. We'll do more fun things later with themes and actual activities, but this is a slightly more formal thing to introduce the pledges to each other more than anything. The Sabers know we get one girly social and they get one hyper-masculine mixer."

"What does that entail?"

Lucy shrugged.

"Probably something fight-themed. Last year they had a Rocky marathon playing in the living room, and everyone wore boxing-related costumes. The year before was something to do with car racing, though."

"Sorano told me that the Sabers and the Fairies are really close, but are all of our mixers with just them?" Yukino asked. The waiter set down their plates, and Lucy nibbled on a fry thoughtfully before answering. She'd never really considered their relations with any of the other houses. They were Fairy Tail, and everyone else was not.

"Well, sometimes we get invited to something with Blue Pegasus, though we don't always accept. Raven Tail throws parties that are open to any houses, and sometimes a few girls will go to those, mostly the heavy partiers like Cana and Evergreen. Sorority mixers with Mermaid Heel can be fun, but that's rarely a whole house kind of thing."

"I guess we just don't have much time for socializing with the other houses," Lucy continued. "Classes are the most important thing, then sorority bonding, then philanthropy, and then mixers come in last on the priority list. Sabertooth fills up most of the limited mixer time and we usually collaborate with them for charity events, too."

"So, we don't have anything to do with Crime Sorciere then?" Yukino asked quietly as she pushed her salad around her plate. Lucy took a bite of her club sandwich and chewed as slowly as possible to give herself time to formulate a response.

"Well, they just formed officially last year, so… I guess we haven't really figured out where they fit in," she finally said. "But they have Grimoire Heart, so I don't really see our houses becoming close."

"Sorano told me that I should avoid them altogether when possible."

Lucy drew circles in her ketchup with a fry. She didn't want to tell Yukino that she should follow her older sister's advice, but Lucy knew that Sorano wasn't the only one opposed to the underdog frat. Cana's assessment that the Crime Sorciere guys were hot was a seriously divergent idea. Really, Lucy couldn't in good faith agree with Sorano since she'd been sneaking around with Erik for a bit and planned to continue doing so. Lucy finally set the fry down and looked up at her Little.

"It's a pretty common idea around Fairy Tail," Lucy said. "It's an elitist view, but most of our sisters don't think the guys at Crime Sorciere are on our level. We just come from different worlds. They're geeks and outcasts, and we're the most popular girls on campus. Sure it's cliché and kind of stupid, but it's how a lot of them view the world."

Lucy picked up her sandwich again, but she nearly choked on her mouthful at Yukino's next question.

"So you don't see anything wrong with dating one of them?"

Lucy managed to swallow without needing the Heimlich maneuver, and took a swig from her water glass.

"I think it's a bad idea if you're serious about Fairy Tail," Lucy finally said. She felt like a hypocrite as the words came out of her mouth, but she knew that as Yukino's Big Sister, she might be able to save the girl a lot of headache later, and she needed to give her an honest opinion. "I don't agree that we're better than they are, but… dating a frat guy is hard anyway, and dating a guy from a frat that your sorority isn't on good terms with… it's just asking for trouble really."

Yukino's face remained blank, but she nodded her understanding. After picking at their food for a bit longer, Lucy paid the check before they silently headed back to Fairy Tail.


	5. Day 2, Part 2

**Day 2: Excuses**

 **Part 2**

 **"No Excuses" by Attack! Attack!**

 **(September)**

* * *

Erik stared at the toxic pond as he waited outside the dorm for Rogue. He scowled at a couple of freshman girls giggling softly as they passed him to enter. One of the girls let out a whimper and grabbed the other to pull her inside faster. He rolled his eye at the gesture.

"Still as popular with the ladies as ever, Cobra," a rough voice said on his blind side. Erik turned, and his scowl deepened.

"Black Steel, to what do I owe the displeasure?" Erik asked.

"I heard a rumor that's got me a little more pissed at your existence than usual," Gajeel said. He had his arms crossed over his black muscle shirt, and his short black hair was spiked up away from the gauges in his ears. His scowl mirrored Erik's.

"And I should care because?"

The door opened behind him and both turned to see Rogue approaching. He paused when he saw Erik's companion, but the halt only lasted a moment before he continued to meet them. He stopped beside Erik with his usual blank expression.

"So not just a rumor," Gajeel growled slightly. "I'd hoped you wouldn't actually stoop to hanging out with the criminals, Ryos. You know Sabertooth would have welcomed you if I'd known you wanted to join a frat."

"Can't say that I'm really interested in Sabertooth's version of brotherhood," Rogue said.

Erik glanced between the two, and it clicked. He mentally sighed. Leave it to him to recruit the blood relation of a fucking Saber. On the other hand, score one to him for doing something to piss off one of his old rivals.

"Well, this little reunion has been fun, but the pledge and I have got places to be," Erik said as he pushed past Gajeel with Rogue trailing behind.

"Cobra, there's another rumor floating around, too."

"When have I ever given a shit about the rumor mill?"

"You might care about this one. Natsu's already out for blood, and if Laxus starts to believe it, he will be, too."

"Tell Dragneel he can come at me any time," Erik snarled. "Heartfilia can shove it. I don't have beef with him, and I'm sure we'd both rather keep it that way."

Gajeel reached out to put a hand on his arm as Erik turned to leave again. Erik considered just punching him and getting it over with, but even when they were both in the circuit, the two had maintained a habit of leaving their rivalry in the cage.

"If you really are after his twin sister, he's not gonna let it go, Cobra. And those two are just the tip of the iceberg. She's got a whole fucking frat that won't hesitate to take out someone they see as a threat to her. Not to mention her sisters; Fairy Tail women are psycho when it comes to protecting their own."

"I can handle myself, Black Steel," Erik said. "Besides, last time I checked, Dragneel is still breathing, so clearly they aren't as worried about her getting hurt as you think."

"What are you talking about? Lucy dumped him, not the other way around."

Erik and Rogue exchanged a glance. It had been nearly two weeks already, how the fuck did the Sabers not know why she broke up with him? Or did they just not care?

"Alright, stop sharing married couple silent exchanges and tell me what you know," Gajeel said as he glared at them.

"Why don't you ask Dragneel again just why he got dumped?" Erik replied. "It's really none of our concern what you kitties do, but I'd be willing to bet he didn't tell you everything. Now if you're through, Rogue and I have shit to do."

"One last thing."

Erik sighed, but he waited for the other man to continue.

"He's getting out this year. Plans to go back in the cage when he is."

The world stopped for a moment as the colors of the world around them bled to red. Erik unconsciously clenched his fists so hard his knucklebones tried to burst through his skin. He closed his eye and breathed deeply through his nose as he tried to calm the rage at the innocuous statement. His eye snapped open again, and he gave a curt nod to Gajeel before turning to stride away. Rogue had to practically jog to keep up as Erik led the way across campus towards the SAC. Erik silently mulled over the conversation. Gajeel was rarely chatty, and he doubted that the Saber had actually been looking for him when they crossed paths, which meant he was probably looking for someone else in the dorms. Erik glanced at the guy beside him.

"So, were you going to tell me that you're related to a member of Sabertooth's E-Board?"

"Were you going to tell me you used to fight?" Rogue retorted. Fair enough.

"What makes you think I did?" Erik asked.

"Nobody calls my brother Black Steel unless they're involved in the sport. It didn't even occur to me when Macbeth called you Cobra, but hearing Gajeel say it… You're The Cobra, aren't you? The guy who dominated the local amateur circuit back home before rising up the ranks in pro. That is, until he lost his eye in a street brawl and left the cage for good."

"Hard to fight with one eye," Erik said. That wasn't the real reason he gave it up, but the kid would have to get a lot closer to him for that story to come out. "So if you're Black Steel's brother, why the different last names?"

"Half brother," Rogue said before changing the subject again. "I know who Gajeel was talking about. He took your eye didn't he?"

"Never proven," Erik spat. "Now drop it. We've still got to meet Minerva to talk about next Saturday's mixer."

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy stretched out on the blanket she'd spread over a patch of grass in the campus center. Cana had fallen asleep beside her while trying to read the textbook for her Psychology and Senior Citizens class. The blonde rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on her own textbook. It shouldn't have been difficult considering that the "textbook" was a collection of memoir essays, but damn Nora Ephron's divorce stories were hitting too close to home right now. She'd always found the _Sleepless in Seattle_ writer's work boring before, but now she was soaking it in and wallowing in their shared pain of relationships gone bad.

"Lucy, can we talk?"

 _Think about the devil and he shall appear_ , Lucy thought as she closed her eyes. She opened them again to find Natsu still crouching in front of her. She sighed and sat up.

"What's there to talk about?" She asked. Deep resignation laced her voice, and he flinched.

"I just… I hate how things ended between us, and I want… I want to know that we're good."

"Good?" Lucy asked.

"I mean, I know we're not really good now, but I want to know that we can be."

Lucy glanced around the central plaza trying to catch signs that she had somehow transported to an alternate universe. She imagined that it would have giant mushrooms instead of trees and be populated with alternate versions of everyone she knew, including a version of her that liked wrestling and wearing head-to-toe black. All she saw were normal students, including a scowling Erik striding across the plaza with Rogue in tow. Nothing particularly unusual there.

"You're fucking with me, right?" Lucy said once she was satisfied that she had in fact not been transported to another world. Natsu grimaced.

"No, I mean, I know I fucked up, but—."

"Natsu, we need to talk," another voice said. Lucy looked to her left and found a very pissed Gajeel glaring at her ex. Natsu froze; he looked ready to dart away at any moment.

"Hey, Gaj, what's up?" Lucy asked.

"Heard something that's got me looking for a little clarification," Gajeel said.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Actually, yeah. Why'd you dump this nimrod again?"

Lucy's eyebrows practically disappeared into her hairline. She hadn't really noticed when Natsu appeared before her, but now that she looked at him again, he was oddly free of bruises. Natsu looked insanely guilty as her attention returned to him. Her eyes narrowed as she realized why Gajeel was asking.

"Oh, because he cheated on me," Lucy said nonchalantly. She even threw in a one-shouldered shrug.

Gajeel's already unreadable face became downright opaque. His arm shot out to grab Natsu by the collar of his sleeveless shirt, and within a few moments they were halfway across the plaza with Natsu desperately trying to gain his feet as Gajeel dragged him towards Greek row. Lucy smirked at the sight. She hadn't let her sisters murder him, but she'd be damned if he was going to get away with not telling the brothers why she dumped his cheating ass. She heard a low chuckle next to her and turned to see a now very awake Cana.

"What I wouldn't give to be a viewer in the Sabertooth house tonight," Cana said. "Think he'll be walking tomorrow?"

"Considering that I'm pretty sure Gajeel is heading straight for Laxus, I wouldn't count on it," Lucy said. She knew she should feel bad for Natsu's impending pain, but she just couldn't summon the energy to give a shit.

"You still didn't tell us who it was that you caught him with," Cana said after a moment.

"I don't know who it was, and I don't care," Lucy lied.

"So it was just some freshman bimbo at the party?" Cana nearly shrieked. Lucy wasn't sure why that scenario was worse than someone they knew, but she let it slide. Lucy shrugged and began gathering her stuff.

"It doesn't matter. Come on. I've still got to prep some stuff for the formal tonight and we need to get dressed."

The new pledge class ran around trying not to bump into furniture or each other as they set up the last of the garlands and table decorations for the buffet. Everything was light and girly with bunches of flowers and tealight candles in mason jars. Lucy straightened out the last details with the caterer before weaving through the freshmen to head upstairs. Cana lounged in her purple bra and panty set while scrolling through something on her phone that Lucy assumed was Tumblr. The woman was obsessed. Lucy stripped down and took a seat at their shared vanity so she could fix her make up for the night.

When the Sabertooth guys arrived, she was completely unsurprised to find that Natsu was not among them. She doubted that Laxus would actually lay a hand on him, but she knew that he would punish him in some way. Most likely the pledges now had an active member in their ranks as the frat's whipping boys.

As soon as the greetings were given and the pledge girls were set to handing out drinks, Laxus approached his twin with a glower set firmly in place.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"Tell you what?"

"Don't be coy, Lucy." She really wanted to giggle at his scowling visage, but she saw that he really was hurt that she hadn't confided in him. She laid a hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry, Laxus. I just haven't seen you since it happened. So much has been going on already this semester, and I've really just been trying to forget about him."

Laxus relaxed a bit and offered her a sad smile.

"I'm guessing that's why you were so shaken up at the rush party?"

Lucy just nodded. She tried to stop the images from that night from popping up; unfortunately, Sting happened to walk by them at that moment. The barrage of memories made her feel slightly sick.

"I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again," Laxus said when he noticed her slightly stricken face. "He's in for a world of hell for the next few weeks at least. If not the whole damn semester."

"You really don't have to do that, Lax," Lucy said. She knew she was completely unconvincing with that statement when Laxus raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, actually I do. Honestly, it'll be worse for him because you're my sister, but even if we'd found out he was cheating on some other girl, he'd be in for a lot of pain. We don't take that shit lightly. Betrayal in any form just isn't something a Saber gets away with."

A tray of drinks toppled to the floor a few feet from them, and Lucy saw Yukino apologizing profusely to Sting for running into him. He waved away her apologies and said it was his fault for not watching where he was going as he began helping to gather the broken glass. Lucy stared at him with a blank expression as he helped to clean up the mess, but he never looked up at her.

"Yuki, come here for a second," Lucy said. The girl looked like she wanted to continue cleaning, but she came anyway. Lucy put an arm around her shoulders. "Yuki, this is my brother Laxus. Lax, meet my Little! Isn't she adorable?"

"Welcome to the family," Laxus said with a lopsided smile. Yukino blushed and stammered out a thanks. She started to go back to the mess, but Laxus stopped her. "Sting can get it. Pretty sure it was his fault anyway."

"Yeah, how about you grab another tray instead?" Lucy added before shooing her towards the kitchen. She turned back to find Laxus staring between her and Sting thoughtfully. Thoughtful Laxus was dangerous. She knew that her brother had a great mind, but he usually disguised it with surly looks and a tough guy exterior. On the rare occasions when his expression actually showed that he was thinking, Lucy knew he would be figuring out whatever had him perplexed very soon.

"So, how are the pledges?" Lucy asked in an attempt to derail his attention.

"Got a good group this year. Gajeel was a little put out that his younger brother didn't join, but to be honest, I've met the kid a couple times, and I doubt Sabertooth would've been a good fit for him."

"You mean Rogue?" Lucy asked. She mentally slapped herself after she said it. She really had no reason to know who Gajeel's brother was because he never talked about him and she wasn't supposed to be that familiar with Crime Sorciere or its members. Luckily, Laxus ignored it.

"Yeah, I think Gajeel said that's the name he goes by. He seems like a punk, but then, so does Gaj half the time."

Lucy giggled, but she didn't comment. She actually thought Rogue was nice. He was quiet, but she had spoken to him a couple of times when she was with Erik. She did have to agree that the kid would have been miserable with the Sabers. Crime Sorciere was a much better fit for him, and from the little interaction she'd seen between them, Erik seemed to make a great Big Brother for Rogue.

"I guess I should start mingling with the rest of the sisters," Laxus said. "But I swear if Sorano starts hitting on me again, you'd better come save me."

"Noted," Lucy said. "You know, if you'd just find a girlfriend, she'd back off."

"Like I have time for dating," Laxus said.

She watched him fade in with the crowd as much as his towering frame allowed. He had a point; running a fraternity while trying to graduate with top grades left little time for socializing outside of the house events. Not to mention the fact that her brother had never shown the least interest in an actual relationship with any woman that she'd seen him with. Lucy caught a glimpse of Sting mopping up the last of the water, and she let out a sigh. She had a feeling this night was going to be really long.

The Sabers had finally left and the Fairy Tail girls were drifting off to bed. Cana wanted to stay up gossiping, but Lucy was beginning to feel caged in the house. She made a lame excuse about wanting to take a walk to unwind before slipping out the back door. She strolled around the backyard for a few minutes in case her nosy roommate was watching from the house before quickly making her way to the brownstone at the end of the street. Freed looked slightly surprised when he answered her knock, but he welcomed her inside graciously.

Lahar and Max shouted greetings from their posts on a couch near the TV. They were watching as Erik, Rogue, and Macbeth played Super Smash Bros Melee on a GameCube. She stood by the door for a moment to watch the end of the match as Luigi sent Captain Falcon sailing off the screen right before Princess Peach did the same to Luigi. Erik threw down his controller petulantly while Macbeth started whooping and receiving high fives from the spectators.

Lucy clapped, which grabbed the attention of the players.

"Want to try your hand, Emma?" Erik asked.

"Only if you're ready to get stomped again, Gambit," Lucy replied with a wink. He grinned at her and patted the floor beside him. Rogue handed off his controller to Lucy as she took the indicated seat. She switched the player from Captain Falcon to the Ice Climbers while Macbeth and Erik kept their original characters.

"Why are you so damn good at this?" Macbeth whined as she knocked him off the ledge for the third time.

"My brother was kind of obsessed for a while," Lucy said without taking her eyes from the screen. "He kept kicking my ass, so Gajeel took pity on me and taught me how to play when Laxus wasn't around. His face was priceless the first time I beat him after my secret training sessions with Gaj."

The Ice Climbers sent Luigi sailing, and Erik cursed.

"No wonder you picked the Eskimo twins," Rogue said in his usual quiet manner. "Gajeel always said they were an underrated character."

After the third game, Max and Lahar drifted off to bed, and Macbeth soon followed. He tried to hand his controller to Rogue, but the pledge shook his head and said he should head out anyway. Erik walked with him to the door, and Lucy trailed behind. She knew that she should leave, too, but she really wanted to stay with Erik for just a bit longer. He turned to her after closing the door behind Rogue and pulled her into his arms in a tight hug.

"Is it weird that having my ass handed to me by you was sexy?" He murmured in her ear.

She shivered and clutched onto him. Part of her wanted to follow that thought to the bedroom, but she knew he shared a space with three other guys and she didn't fancy another night in the treehouse just yet. Erik seemed to sense her indecision about something and he stepped back.

"Want to watch a movie?" He asked.

"I'm down for that," Lucy said. She settled on the couch while he picked something from the impressive collection tucked away in a bookshelf next to the TV. He joined her a few minutes later, and she instantly cuddled into him. She reveled in the warmth of his ripped arm wrapped around her. The movie started, and she wasn't sure if she was pleased or not with his choice.

"Fight Club?" She asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"You don't like it?"

"Oh, I do. It's just been a while since I've seen it. Laxus and Gajeel kind of wore me out on it in high school."

"That actually doesn't surprise me. Want to watch something else?"

"Naw, like I said, it's been a while, so I'm good with this."

She really just didn't want him to get up again. Lucy twined her fingers with Erik's and slowly ran the fingers of her other hand along his forearm. They watched the movie while trading occasional comments until a scene came up where one of the main characters destroyed the face of a minor character during one of the underground fights. Lucy couldn't help glancing up at Erik at that point. He wasn't wearing his eye patch tonight, so the scars covering his closed right eye stood out against the rest of his face in the blue glow from the screen.

"Hey, Erik?" Lucy said hesitantly. He glanced down at her and cocked his head waiting for her question. "I know it's probably not something you really want to talk about, so you can tell me to drop it, and I won't be offended. But—."

"You want to know how I lost my eye," he said. Lucy nodded as she bit her lip. Erik gave her a sardonic smile before looking back up at the movie, but his gaze was unfocused as if he were watching something else. For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to tell her, and she resigned herself to unfulfilled curiosity, but he finally started talking.

"I used to do mixed martial arts fighting," he said. "There was this one guy from a rival gym, one of the ones who give cage fighters a bad rap as loose cannons and assholes. I fought him a few times in amateurs and we were pretty even on wins and losses in those bouts. Then we both went into professional fighting. I beat him with a knockout two minutes in on our first pro match against each other."

His fingers tightened slightly around hers where they were still intertwined, and his voice dropped a bit lower, though she could tell he was trying to maintain his composure.

"I was leaving my gym after training the next night when he met me on the street. Cage fighting has a reputation for brutality, but street fighting really has no rules, and he was out for blood. He left me lying in the street with multiple cuts and my eyeball on the sidewalk in front of me. I'm still not sure how I dragged myself back to the gym. Luckily, my trainer was still there, and he got me to the ER in time to keep me from bleeding out."

Lucy pulled her arm away so she could move to straddle his hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands came up to rest on her waist. She could see restrained rage burning in his remaining eye despite the low lighting. She felt the tension radiating through his body as she pressed as much of herself against him as she could while she wrapped him in a hug. His body slowly relaxed into hers as she ran her hand through his short hair. When she thought he was sufficiently calmed down, Lucy pulled back to look at his face again. She leaned in to gently kiss his forehead over the old wound; she worked gentle kisses down over the scar tissue and then his cheek until reaching his lips.

Erik surrendered to the kiss. He wrapped his arms fully around her waist to pull her to him more tightly. He never talked about that night. Thoughts of it could send him into a blind rage where he hurt anyone who got too close. He'd been relatively mild-mannered before the incident; he fought because it was fun, not because he wanted to hurt someone. Now that he'd started talking, he wanted to tell her the rest. He drew his head back enough to look her in the eye.

"I left the cage after that," he whispered. "I couldn't control my rage anymore. I still trained after I recovered, though not nearly as hard, but I never fought in a match again. Just thinking about him made me lose all control. My friends and my trainer were worried that I would end up killing someone if I kept going."

"Did they at least catch him?" Lucy asked. She drew random patterns on the back of his neck with her fingertips.

"Yeah, but not for what he did to me," Erik said bitterly. He looked away from her. "I went to the cops, but we had no witnesses, and he had a bullshit alibi. He would've only gotten a year max anyway. Instead, he got busted for some unrelated narcotics possession charge that sent him to prison for a few years. His family still blamed me, though. At least, his brother did."

Erik took a deep breath before meeting Lucy's gaze again. He couldn't read her expression, and it worried him a little. He was used to pity and disgust when it came to his scars. People who knew the story railed against the injustice of it all or tried to avoid the subject all together out of fear that he would snap. At least he could rule out disgust since she had kissed the scars a few moments ago as though she accepted them as part of him. He was starting to feel antsy when Lucy smiled.

"Thank you for telling me, Erik. I meant what I said about wanting to get to know you." She pulled her arms from his neck and began fussing with her nails distractedly as she ducked her head to hide her face. "I wish… I wish there was something I could do to take away the pain you're feeling."

"Emma, you already did," Erik said. He didn't want to let go of her waist, so he ducked his head to bump her chin up lightly with his forehead. "Seriously. I hate talking about it, but with you, it wasn't so bad. I remember the first time I told Jellal about it I put a hole through the wall in our dorm room. Honestly, I was worried I would get angry again and do something stupid to scare you out of here."

"I'm used to rage-prone fighters," Lucy said with a half-smile. She swung one of her legs over so that she was cuddled in his lap. She fell asleep there watching the rest of the movie. Erik knew he should wake her up so she could go home and keep her sisters from getting suspicious, but he just couldn't.

COLU*COLU*COLU

It was unanimously decided that Macbeth and Minerva were never allowed to pick a mixer theme together again. Erik sighed as Macbeth slapped fake blood all over the leather trench coat Erik had been forced into earlier. He was sorry as it was that he even knew what his oldest friend had meant when he said the theme was "The Genetic Opera." He knew the emo kid was just looking for an excuse to pull out his old Graverobber costume again.

"Now for the face," Macbeth said before he started slinging red goop at Erik's face. Erik stood up suddenly and pushed against his friend's chest.

"Enough already. I doubt most of the girls from Grimoire Heart even know what this theme means, so I look fine. Now let's just go downstairs already."

"Yes, the Hearts should be arriving shortly," Jellal said from the top of the stairs.

Erik glared at him. He understood why Macbeth was dressed as a specific character, but Erik didn't understand why Jellal got to be one of the random jackasses in a suit with crazy hair while he had to be the freaking Repo Man. He didn't know why he bothered arguing over the others dressing him anymore. He never won, and his sulking just made his brothers more determined to pursue their plans of making him look ridiculous. As he pondered the point more, he realized that might actually be the whole intention. Sometimes he forgot that these men were secretly evil geniuses.

Erik spotted Rogue standing a short distance from the other three pledges when he reached the ground floor. Erik smirked; his tormentors had gotten to his Little Brother, too. Of course, Rogue looked completely unfazed at being dressed in pinstripe pants and suspenders with fake blood spattered over his bare chest. Erik decided his new mission was to find something that would actually rattle the stoic kid.

The Grimoire Heart women entered a short time later, and Erik realized that Macbeth may have actually had another reason for choosing this theme. Most of the girls wore little rectangles of white fabric in place of clothing with white fishnets and neon-orange platform heels. Erik had forgotten about the genterns. Minerva drifted in decked out in a black gown with way too many feathers and sporting the biggest fake eyelashes Erik had ever seen. Ultear followed close behind her in a dominatrix inspired outfit.

The pledges started doling out blood-red punch while Macbeth got the karaoke machine going. At least Jellal had put his foot down on only having songs from the movie or songs from musicals in general on the option list. Though as Macbeth started trying to hit the high notes on "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," Erik wasn't sure that allowing karaoke at all had been a good idea. He tried to surreptitiously cover his ears, but he had to abandon the attempt when Ultear approached him.

"My, don't you look positively ferocious," she purred. Erik sighed. Fending off Ultear's advances was a fairly common occurrence at these events. He was surprised she'd stayed off his back at the rush party.

"I can't believe you actually agreed to Macbeth's theme idea," he said as he gently removed the hand that was skimming over his shoulder.

"What? You don't like the outfits?" Ultear asked. She pushed up her bustier none too subtly. Erik couldn't help glancing down at the movement, but he didn't have any trouble looking away from the display, either.

"Not particularly," he said shortly.

"Oh come now, Erik. I think the ladies' outfits turned out quite nicely; though I'm really proud of my own. Don't tell me leather isn't your thing."

"Leather might be, but drugged out Paris Hilton really isn't."

Ultear pouted for a moment before picking a new tactic.

"Please tell me you aren't being this contrary because of little miss sunshine," Ultear said with a frown. "Face it, Erik. You aren't going to be able to handle what the secrecy will entail. She isn't Erza. No one will believe that the pretty Heartifilia wants to stay single. Even if it were true, they simply won't accept it."

"And why is that?"

"She's just that type of woman," Ultear said with a shrug.

"So you're stereotyping her?" Erik snapped.

"Just as she stereotypes us, my dear." Ultear smiled at him sadly. "When she breaks your heart, come talk to me, darling."

She gave a small wave before sashaying away to join a group of her sisters by the punch bowl. Erik scowled at her retreating figure. Ultear was a close acquaintance, but she could also be a huge pain in the ass when she was denied something she wanted. Erik couldn't figure out just why she set her sights on him every few months, but he really wished she'd pick a new challenge.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy didn't get why Laxus couldn't get the food himself. She had a ton of writing assignments to finish, and she really didn't need her brother's help to procrastinate. She grumbled to herself as she hauled the large bags of food up the stairs to the gym. She wiggled around enough to get her elbow on the elongated door handle and pushed. It took a few tries, but she finally got the door open and kicked it shut behind her. She heard strikes ricocheting through the open gym area just down the hallway.

"Lax, I brought your food," Lucy yelled as she entered the gym area. A few people looked up from their positions around the cage, but most were too focused on the sparring match in the middle. Lucy set her haul down on a table by the door before going over to see who had everyone so enthralled. Her breath caught in her throat as she slid into an empty space next to the cage.

Gajeel lunged at Erik, giving the maroon-haired man a chance to latch onto him and pull him to the floor. Sweat coated their bodies, and a small cut dripped blood down Erik's cheek. The one-eyed man worked his arm under Gajeel's chin while Gaj tried to throw Erik off by throwing elbows into his side. Erik finally managed to wiggle his arm where he wanted it and pulled, causing Gajeel to tap at his arm before Erik released him. Erik was the first to his feet, and he offered a hand down to Gajeel as some of the spectators started whooping.

"Still got it, Cobra," Gajeel said as he took the offered hand.

"I've still got work to do anyway," Erik said with a grin.

Everyone started drifting towards the tables where Lucy had dropped the food, but Laxus joined Lucy at her spot by the cage.

"I'm a little surprised," Laxus said. "Gajeel must be getting soft. Or Cobra just got lucky."

"Cobra?" Lucy asked as she kept watching the two men trading advice.

"That's his fighting nickname. He used to be pretty tough shit a few years ago. Looks like he's found a reason to go back in the cage."

Lucy wasn't sure how to respond because all she could think was, _why didn't he tell me?_ She knew about his past, possibly even more than Laxus did, but Erik hadn't told her he was going back to fighting. And he'd definitely neglected to mention that he was training with Gajeel's gym. Laxus drifted away to the table while yelling at Gajeel to grab some food before it was gone. It was only then that either of the men in the cage noticed their one remaining spectator. Gajeel clapped Erik on the shoulder once more before leaving the arena to grab some chow. Erik crouched down by the side of the cage so that he was looking at Lucy through the wire.

"You didn't tell me," she whispered.

"Didn't know how," he murmured. "I don't see you much as it is, and with this… well, it'll probably be even less now."

"I understand," Lucy said. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the ground. "I mean, you really don't owe me anything."

"Emma," Erik started to say something, but he was interrupted by a yell from the other side of the room telling them both to come eat. Erik sighed. "We should go before your brother starts thinking we're up to something. If he doesn't already."

Lucy nodded and headed for the food table where Laxus was indeed watching her. She put on a bright and thoroughly fake smile as she joined the group, most of whom she'd known since she was a teenager. Gajeel had been training with the same gym for years, so she'd often tagged along with Laxus to watch him spar. Master Makarov, the old head trainer, had even taught her some basic self-defense.

She wasn't sure why it bothered her that Erik hadn't mentioned he was returning to the cage. Thanks to her brother's close relationship with Gajeel, she'd been around MMA for years. Erik could obviously take care of himself in a fight. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why he was going back now after three years. Lucy watched him surreptitiously as she nibbled on a burger. Everyone seemed to know him, and he fit right in with the group.

"Weird isn't it?" Laxus murmured next to her. Lucy turned to look up at him with an arched brow. He nodded towards Erik. "He's a member of the lamest frat on campus, and he has a reputation for being an antisocial bastard, but seeing him here, you can tell that he would have fit right in at Sabertooth. Kind of a shame really."

"You act like the Crime Sorciere guys are aliens or something," Lucy said lightly.

"Just nerds and pansies mostly," Laxus said with a shrug.

"Pretty sure we both have some tendencies that would classify us as nerds, too," Lucy replied. She set down the burger. She hadn't started with much appetite but this conversation was killing what little she'd had.

"Fair enough. Still, they're just different, Lucy. You don't know those guys like I do. There are reasons we don't socialize with them. That's why it's weird that Erik is one of the criminals. Just seems like a weird fit."

Lucy struggled to keep her composure at that. She was pretty sure she knew the Crime Sorciere guys better than her brother ever would. After over a month of running around with Erik and spending several of their nights together hanging out with his brothers, she saw just how well they did mesh. She excused herself shortly after that with a quick goodbye to the group and a hug for Makarov.

Later that night, Erik lounged on one of the beanbags in the treehouse with Lucy draped across his lap on her stomach. He ran his fingers through her hair as she complained about a couple of her pledges. He loved these all too rare evenings of relaxing together merely talking.

"And Michelle is just… God, I don't even know how to describe this girl," Lucy said with a sigh. "Cries over the littlest thing, eats everything in sight, and is pretty much a complete airhead. I know she's like a distant cousin of mine or something, but I really wish that hadn't been the deciding factor on getting her into the sorority. She also seems to have this weird obsession with me. I'm just happy she isn't my Little, though she does keep calling me Big Sister anyway."

Lucy rolled over slightly so she was curled towards him. Erik's arm came up to support her back.

"You know, if this bores you, we can talk about something else," Lucy said as she absently traced a finger over his chest.

"It doesn't bore me," Erik said. He tried not to shiver at her touch, but he was pretty sure that he failed. "I have to deal with pledges, too, and actually your Michelle sounds a lot like our Eve."

"The finance kid?" Lucy asked. Her fingers kept exploring the dips of his torso through his thin cotton t-shirt.

"That's the one. Fancies himself a ladykiller, but using the cute little brother angle, which I wasn't aware was a thing."

"It's not. At least, not for people our age. Probably. Then again, everyone has their kinks, I guess." Erik was tempted to explore that particular topic, but Lucy continued, "What about the other pledges?"

"Honestly, Rogue is the only one I can do more than tolerate," Erik admitted. He began tracing abstract patterns on her thigh. "Matthew and Nathaniel are carbon copies of each other. It's kind of fitting that their Big Brothers are Freed and Rufus. Poetry everywhere, bizarre clothing choices, unfailingly polite even when pissed off."

Lucy giggled.

"You guys really are the campus geek squad."

Erik froze. Lucy felt the sudden tension in the arm around her back and the chest beneath her hand. She wasn't sure what caused it, though. Luckily, Erik was always one to speak his mind.

"You sound like it's a bad thing to be," Erik said. Lucy frowned at his testy tone.

"I mean, it works for you guys, so no, I guess it's not a bad thing," Lucy said. "It was just an observation. I mean, you don't want to be like the ragers at Raven Tail or the jocks at Sabertooth, do you?"

"No, we formed Crime Sorciere because it represents who we are," Erik said, though his voice remained slightly strained. "The geeks, the outcasts, the unwanted."

Lucy wasn't sure what to say to that. She'd be lying if she denied that they weren't those things. Except perhaps unwanted, but for many of their members, even that was true for a lot of people on campus. Lucy's silence only intensified the tension in the room. Erik remembered the snippets of conversation he'd overheard her having with Laxus at the gym the day before. He'd wanted to laugh at Laxus's idea that Erik could ever fit in with a group that accepted Natsu fucking Dragneel as a brother. Gajeel and the guys at the gym were one thing, but the Sabers were something else all together.

Erik felt his angry insecurity coiling in his gut. Sometimes he just wanted to shake Lucy and tell her to get over her stupid stereotypical views, but he knew that wouldn't actually help anything. He knew she hadn't meant for the 'observation' as she called it to be offensive, but he couldn't help how protective he was of his frat brothers. Most had been bullied since grade school for being different or just plain smart. This was their safe haven from ridicule. Even when he thought they were weird too, he accepted it because that's who they were. He even knew that he was being a little hypocritical, but there was a difference between him making fun of a brother and someone outside the frat doing so.

"I'm glad all of your pledges are fitting in," Lucy said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Erik recognized a peace-offering when he saw one, and he took it.

"Everyone needs somewhere to fit in. That's why I'm glad I convinced Rogue to join."

"How's that going anyway?" Lucy asked. Her fingers began their exploration of his chest again, and Erik felt the tension slowly seeping out of him.

"Great. Gajeel seems to have gotten over his brother joining us. I kind of thought he'd have an issue with me training at the same gym, but when the old man said I was in, he just accepted it and welcomed me to the group."

They chatted for a while more before Lucy's caresses grew a bit more pointed and the two made their way to the bed before she had to leave for the night. As she walked back to her house, she thought over the conversation and the insane tension in the room when she'd made what she thought was an innocuous comment. Lucy just decided she'd have to stay away from any more mention of Crime Sorciere's unpopularity and the underlying causes, like their collective weirdness, in the future. If they were actually dating it might be a problem, but with their fuck buddy status, she figured they could just avoid certain topics and still make things work.

Granted, she didn't expect him to find out about her advice to Yukino.


	6. Day 2, Part 3

**Day 2: Excuses**

 **Part 3**

 **"No Excuses" Alice in Chains**

 **(October)**

* * *

Erik glared at her across the café table. Lucy picked absently at her coffee cake. They had papers spread out across the table, ostensibly for the entrepreneurship project that they'd already completed. She'd been waiting for him in the library café with the materials for their ruse prepared and a cup of his favorite dark roast coffee waiting in front of his chair. It had become their Tuesday routine, and Lucy found she was actually really enjoying it.

But she was definitely not enjoying the dark mood he brought with him today. Lucy wasn't sure what had pissed off the Crime Sorciere member, but she was really hoping it wasn't her because his looks were positively murderous today. She was reminded of the way she had seen him before the rush party with his frat: cold, unapproachable, and borderline feral.

"So…" Lucy started speaking, but then she didn't know what to say. This was a frustratingly common scenario with the sometimes surly man. Nobody could put her quite out of her element like he could.

"What the fuck, Lucy?" He said.

"Sorry?" Her eyes widened at both his angry tone and the use of her real name. Shit. He _was_ pissed at her for something.

"So we're good enough to fuck but not good enough to date. Is that it?"

"Erik, I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about," Lucy said. She felt a crease forming between her eyes, and she mentally checked out for a moment as she remembered her mother's admonition against making faces that would form wrinkles. Her attention snapped back to Erik as he practically snarled at her.

"Right. I guess Yukino didn't get the idea that dating a nerd from Crime Sorciere is social suicide from the queen of hiding her dirty laundry, who also just happens to be her Big Sister."

Lucy's intestines turned to ice as she realized what he was talking about.

"Erik—"

"No. Just fucking no, Lucy. I get that you have your stereotypes and your perfect girl reputation and your position in the sorority and whatever other bullshit excuses you've come up with to justify sneaking around with me. Whatever. You've said it before, I don't owe you anything, and that means you don't owe me anything, either."

Erik leaned over the table, and Lucy had to fight the urge to scoot her chair back in an attempt to avoid his angry gaze. She fidgeted slightly under his hard stare, and a small voice in her head wondered how somebody with one eye could put that much venom into a look.

"So you can do whatever the fuck you want, but Yukino isn't as embroiled in that bullshit. There's no reason to keep her or any of the others like her locked in the same mindless hate. For your information, Macbeth actually fucking likes her. Enough that he's devastated right now that she turned him down basically because his social status is beneath hers. And why exactly did such a sweet girl do that? Because her fucking Big Sister told her to."

Erik pushed back his chair and stood abruptly. He angrily grabbed the coffee she'd ordered for him and stalked out of the building. Lucy sat blinking in shock for a moment before searing anger jolted her out of her stupor. She swept the papers on the table into a pile and shoved them haphazardly into her messenger bag before bursting out the doors after him. Lucy caught up to the much faster man by the dorm pond. She was out of breath from chasing him, but she put on a last spurt of energy to get in front of him and poke an angry finger at his chest.

"You listen to me, jackass," Lucy snapped. Erik looked like he was going to move past her, but Lucy smacked him in the chest before grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

"Let go, Lucy," he snarled.

"Not until you fucking listen to me." Lucy glared at him. She knew he could easily break her hold if he wanted to, but she was holding onto the belief that he wasn't actually pissed enough to hurt her. "I didn't tell Yukino not to date Macbeth. Did I tell her it would make things difficult for her in the sorority? Yes. Did I say that dating a frat guy is trouble? Yes. But I also told her that it's a stupid idea that our sisters think we're from different worlds; that no, we aren't better than your frat brothers. I just didn't sugarcoat it that although it is a stupid idea, it's one most of the sisters hold on to."

Lucy released his shirt and stepped away from him, though she kept up the eye contact.

"Nothing I told her was a lie. But I didn't tell her what she should do. Yuki made that decision for herself. I'm sorry that it hurt Macbeth; I really am. But don't fucking try to blame me for that."

She gave him a final glare for good measure before stalking away. She made it around the side of one of the dorms before Erik caught her arm and pressed her against the building. She expected him to berate her further for the Yukino thing, but instead his lips slanted over hers in a kiss that nearly bruised. After a moment of shock, Lucy responded to him with equal ferocity. His hands gripped her waist roughly as her fingers tangled in his hair. He pulled back slightly to mutter a curse.

"Why are sorority girls so much fucking trouble?" Erik groaned.

"Could ask the same about fucking frat guys," Lucy said before yanking his head back down to hers. It wasn't until she had to pull away for air again that Lucy realized that she was making out with Erik, a member of Crime Sorciere, against the side of a dorm building. In public. The realization hit Erik at the same moment, and he stepped hurriedly away from her. He couldn't hold back the devilish grin that sprouted at his ability to so completely distract her. Lucy started to dart away towards Greek Row, but she turned back for a moment.

"So are we good?" She asked. Erik rubbed a hand over his scalp, which still tingled slightly from the intense grip she'd had on his hair a moment before.

"Yeah, we're good," he said. "I'm not going to apologize, though."

"Neither am I," Lucy said, but she grinned as she said it. Erik grinned back at her. He might have even winked, but it was hard to tell with just the one eye. Lucy gave a small wave as she ran towards her house. She sent up a silent prayer that no one had seen her making out with the V.P. of Crime Sorciere.

Erik mentally berated himself as he watched her walk away. He shouldn't have let her affect him to that degree. He was still pissed about Macbeth getting hurt, and he should have gone with his early rage-induced inclination to break off ties with her. Of course then she came back with a fire to rival his own, and there went that idea, sailing straight out the proverbial window. Erik ran his hands roughly through his hair, and he could practically feel her fingers still there, gripping him tightly. He let out a frustrated groan before going to find Rogue.

COLU*COLU*COLU

"Who had the brilliant idea to have a pet adoption drive in the middle of campus where most students live in the dorms and thus can't have pets?" Rogue asked. He leaned down to pet one of the cats through the bars of the cage.

"I think it was Richard's idea," Erik said. He sneezed violently and mentally cursed at the plan for their biggest philanthropic event of the semester. He was allergic to pet dander, so no matter what role he played in this event, he would be reaching for tissues the entire day.

There were probably twenty animals in the plaza. The cats were all in wire crates, but a lot of the dogs were just on leashes as the members of Crime Sorciere and Grimoire Heart walked them around while students stopped to play with them. Jellal and Minerva were manning a table for donations and adoption forms. They knew it was unlikely that many of the animals would be adopted, though there were a lot of alumni on campus for a job fair being held in one of the ballrooms, so maybe a few furballs would get lucky today. The real plan was to make people's hearts melt and win some donations for the shelter to continue its no-kill policy while still rescuing new animals.

Erik tried to fumble a tissue out of his pocket as another wave of sneezing hit him, but he found Ultear next to him with one at the ready. He took the wisp of paper gratefully as the sneezing tried and failed to clear his blocked sinuses.

"Forgot your meds?" Ultear asked.

"No, I took them. They just aren't helping," Erik said.

"Well if it gets too difficult to breathe, I'm certainly willing to give you mouth-to-mouth," Ultear said. Rogue stood suddenly and mumbled something about helping Freed with the golden retriever. Erik cursed him for a coward in his head. He ignored Ultear's comment as both too cheesy and too unappreciated for a response. Noting his lack of warmth, she quickly changed the subject.

"Do you think Dad will let me adopt one and keep it at the house?" Lucy asked as she cuddled the small dog that looked like a mix between a Chihuahua and a Labrador, which brought up all kinds of questions for Laxus.

"Keep dreaming, Luce," he said. "Besides, there's no way Taurus would be okay with another dog in the house. He's too damn territorial."

Lucy sighed and set the little dog back down where it was quickly scooped up by a couple of giggling girls from Mermaid Heel. She knew her brother was right. Their Pit Bull was getting old, but he still demanded respect from everyone and everything in the mansion, and he still had the brawn and scary appearance to back it up.

"Why don't we ever do cool events like this?" Lucy asked.

"Well, when you're president next year, you can," Laxus said.

"Oh, that confident they'll vote for me, huh?" Lucy giggled when Laxus gave her a look that clearly said she was being ridiculous.

"Come on, we still need to say hi to Dad at the fair," Laxus said.

"Then we'll come back, right?"

"Fine," Laxus said with a mock chagrin. Lucy giggled again, but the sound halted in her throat as she caught sight of Erik. Ultear's hand rested on his arm, and he laughed loudly at something she said. Lucy never saw Erik laughing in public, or even very often in private. She hadn't realized she'd stopped walking until Laxus said her name for the third time and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Twinkie?" He asked when she finally looked at him. Lucy smiled. She inwardly cringed at how often she was fake-smiling for her brother lately, but she kept up the outward show of brightness anyway.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She said. Lucy grabbed her brother's arm and started dragging him across the plaza, but not before he followed to where her gaze had been. Ultear still had her hand on Erik, but her touch had moved from his forearm to his shoulder. Laxus's generally stoic expression hardened into an opaque mask, and suddenly he was pulling Lucy instead of the other way around. She wanted to ask him about the reaction, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up without making it more obvious that she had also been interested in the display between Erik and Ultear.

COLU*COLU*COLU

After a pair of raccoons were let into the Crime Sorciere house through an open window, things between certain houses became more than a little tense. No one could prove that the raccoons didn't just make it inside on their own. Just as no one could prove that Sabertooth's basement flooding wasn't actually caused by the massive amounts of rain that had been flooding other parts of campus. Or that the Crime Sorciere house fire alarms didn't actually malfunction on their own at 3 a.m. Or that the person who changed the Sabertooth wi-fi router password to PrEtTy PuSsY wasn't actually a member of Sabertooth.

Despite the lack of proof that there was indeed a covert prank war going on, both Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart took sides in the battle, which led to insane amounts of tension in classes and cafeterias. Noticing the tension between some of the Greek houses on campus, some university faculty member, in their infinite wisdom, suggested a masquerade-themed Halloween party to include all of the houses. Masks would be worn until midnight at which point everyone would reveal themselves. The hope was that by not knowing who they were talking to, brothers and sisters from rival houses would actually interact with each other without being assholes. As far as Erik was concerned, this made the whole ordeal even cheesier. Granted, considering that the majority of the sorority women from any houses had nearly identical body types, there was a slight chance that could work out.

The E-board members from each house were requested (more like required) to attend in order to showcase goodwill for the idea of a more inclusive Greek system. Of course, this also guaranteed that at least most of the rest of the active members would attend.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Erik decided this was a stupid idea. Macbeth had provided the masks for everyone, and Erik's definitely did not hide who he was from anyone. It left only his mouth bare, but it only had one eye hole. He idly wondered where Macbeth had found the thing, but at least he wouldn't have to wear his patch. Jellal had convinced him to slick his hair back, and the gel made the dark maroon appear nearly black, so maybe from a distance he would be a mystery.

He glanced around at the rest of the E-board and sighed. Richard couldn't be incognito in any situation; he was just too large. Jellal was probably one of the only males with blue hair on-campus, and Macbeth was… well, Macbeth. While the other three opted for a simple Regency period black coat with tails, Macbeth went full Renaissance complete with ruffles and cape; he'd even coiled his hair, which Erik actually found massively impressive. The guidelines for wardrobe had been a bit lax, so it was hard to judge whether he would look more ridiculous than his brothers or not.

The rest of the Crime Sorciere brothers, plus the pledges, were waiting downstairs. Most just wore suits with plain black masks, but Freed, Rufus, and Lahar all managed to outdo Macbeth in the overboard department. At least Macbeth's ruffles were small, and his suit wasn't covered in brocade. Well, at least they were upholding the frat's image as the home for outcasts because Erik seriously doubted that anyone from the other houses would be going to quite these lengths. He fully expected to see nothing but modern suits and old prom dresses paired with masks picked up at that hippie store at the mall.

A few of the brothers pre-gamed with shots. Erik eyed the liquid courage with longing, but he was deep into training now. A shot or two probably wouldn't hurt, but he didn't want to have to kill himself even more than he already was with two-a-days before and after classes as he tried to get back into fighting shape. He hadn't trained this seriously in three years, so getting back into the habit was requiring more discipline than was pretty. Turning away from the tempting liquid, he waited by the door with Jellal for the rest of their group to be ready.

Lucy had to admit the ballroom looked great. A coalition of girls from each sorority had worked together to whip it into shape. Electric candelabra lined the wood-paneled walls and garlands of lights hung in arcs from the ceiling, spinning out from the chandelier in the center like stars around the moon. Small tables and benches lined the walls, each with their own candle and lily arrangements while a dessert and drink buffet stretched along one side of the dance floor. It was a strictly non-alcoholic party as it was being held in one of the university ballrooms, but Lucy was sure one of the Sabers would sneak something (or multiple things) in, and if they didn't, Raven Tail certainly would. And she knew for a fact that Cana had a flask strapped to her thigh just above the long slit in her sky blue dress that showed off a shapely tanned leg.

Most of the other girls had opted for prom dresses that had been gathering dust in their closets since high school. Lucy wished for a moment that she joined them in that; she was starting to feel a little out of place in her Victorian ball gown. When she'd told her mother about the themed dance, Layla had been overjoyed and immediately made time in her schedule to take Lucy to her favorite costumer.

The deep pink dress belled around her legs in layers of gathered fabric with black lace ruffles highlighting some of the layers. Long sleeves flared around her hands, and she liked the feel of the large sleeves sweeping along her skin. The open neck left her shoulders and cleavage bare to perfectly highlight her mother's pink diamond pendant. She felt like a princess, but she had drawn the line at adding a tiara. She figured the heart-shaped diamond and the pink rhinestone-encrusted half mask were glitzy enough on their own. Her mother's hairdresser had spent two hours working her blonde locks into an intricate updo with artful tendrils hanging around her face and one long section of fake curls draping across her shoulder.

She knew the whole idea was anonymity, but she really didn't see how that was going to work for her or anyone else. Even without seeing them get dressed, she could easily pick out her sisters, so if she didn't know who someone was, it was obviously not one of them. The guys were a little tougher, but for the most part they each stood out, though the dim lighting did make it a bit more mysterious. At least it gave them an excuse to dress up, she thought.

"Care to join me for the opening dance before they change the music?" Her brother asked as he appeared at her side with his hand extended.

"Of course, Lax, it's been ages since we've danced together," Lucy said. Their parents had insisted they both learn ballroom from a young age. It wasn't terribly common for their business parties to include it, but both Layla and Jude Heartfilia believed in being prepared for any occasion. Lucy let her brother lead her to the center of the floor where she was sure they would be the only ones dancing until the DJ switched from Strauss to Rhianna.

Laxus bowed and Lucy curtseyed as they'd been taught by their dance master before assuming the position.

"Loose but firm!" Lucy said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking their old instructor.

Laxus gave an answering chuckle. He had been surprisingly accepting of the lessons; Lucy had been the one to pitch a fit when dance lessons dragged her away from her poems and stories for an hour or two. He was also better at it than she was. For such a large man, he made the steps look graceful as he led her around the floor, while Lucy tried to follow without tripping on her hem or looking at her feet.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you lately," Laxus said.

"We're both trying to run Greek organizations and deal with pledges and classes, Lax. It makes it hard to see each other much."

"Yeah, but you're going through a rough semester without all that, and I don't like that I haven't exactly been there for you, Twinkie."

Lucy smiled up at her twin. He really was such a softie despite his tough appearance, though she had a suspicion that she was one of the few people who got to enjoy the teddy bear side of him.

"If you're referring to your idiot frat brother, I'm over it," Lucy said. She tried to not sniff haughtily at the end, but biting it back at the last moment made her sneeze.

"À tes souhaits," he said. "But seriously, Lucy, if you need me, I'm always around."

"Thanks, Pikachu," Lucy said. She briefly laid her head against his chest as they danced. She wouldn't admit it, but she had missed her brother over the past couple of months.

"There's something I've wanted to ask you," Laxus's voice rumbled through his chest beneath her ear. "I heard a rumor that has me a little… concerned."

"Since when do you listen to gossip?" Lucy giggled, but she pulled back so she could look up at him. "So what's this concerning rumor?"

"They say Cobra has his eye on you. And that you might be looking at him, too."

Lucy frowned as she tried to figure out who the hell Cobra was. Then she had to fight back a laugh at her brother's (probably) unintentional pun. Once she felt she was suitably composed, Lucy replied.

"We're partners for a project in our entrepreneurship class. That's it. We just get together for coffee to go over the project once a week."

"Must be one hell of a project if you need that kind of time," Laxus grumbled.

"It's a beast," Lucy agreed. They'd actually finished it a month ago, but she wasn't about to give up one of the few times she was able to see the Crime Sorciere member.

"Just tell me there's nothing going on between you two, and I'll let it go," Laxus said. Lucy looked directly into his gray eyes. She could usually tell exactly what her twin was thinking, but he was closed off for once. She took that as a bad sign.

"We're just partners for a class project," she repeated as she maintained eye contact. Laxus gave a short nod, but she sensed that he wasn't completely satisfied with that answer. But in his usual sixth-sense way of dealing with her, he realized it was the best he was going to get, and he changed the subject.

"I think you should get back out there, though," he said.

"Back out where?"

"In the dating world. Meet some new people, find out they aren't all cheating bastards."

Lucy snorted.

"Since when are you interested in me dating? You were the primary reason I didn't have a boyfriend in high school, and you hated that I was with Natsu."

"He was never good enough for you," Laxus said with a shrug.

"Who is?" Lucy laughed.

"Probably no one, if I'm being completely honest. Still, I think it'll help you forget him. Even if it's nothing serious. I actually know someone that I think you'd like. He's an alum; you met him before he graduated last year."

"Oh?" Lucy asked with little real interest.

"Let me set up a date for you. If you don't like him, fine, but… I just don't want you to end up with another Natsu. Or a worse than Natsu."

Lucy could imagine exactly who her brother was putting in the 'worse than Natsu' category. She sighed, but she gave her acquiescence. Laxus gave her a lopsided grin. If going on a date with this mystery alum would make her brother smile, it would probably be worth some awkward discomfort of letting the guy down easy.

"The Blue Danube" ended a moment later, and "Pon de Replay" instantly followed. She was a little shocked at how accurate her prediction of the music change had been. She had to push her way from the dance floor a bit as pop-crazed party-goers swarmed the floor. She decided to get a drink while she could before someone spiked it or before Cana dragged her out to have her dress crushed by the swarm of dancing sorority girls.

A man in a tailcoat and plain black mask with dark hair slicked back stood by the drink table. Lucy had just ladled some punch into a clear plastic cup when he leaned over to murmur, "You look lovely, Miss Frost."

Lucy nearly dropped her cup in shock as the familiar voice sent a shiver through her entire body. Now that she was actually looking at him, she saw that the mask only had one eyehole.

"Damn, Gambit, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Lucy said as she put a hand to her chest for emphasis.

Erik merely chuckled. Her heartbeat decided it couldn't settle down with such a sound coming from a handsome, mysterious man. Even now that she recognized him, Erik did seem mysterious in his black suit and mask. Mysterious and dangerous, actually. She liked the look on him. A lot.

"I take it you didn't recognize me? I'm surprised. I felt sure that it was only superheroes who could use covering half their face and a dorky suit as an effective disguise."

"I wouldn't call your suit dorky," Lucy said.

"What would you call it then, Princess?"

"Alluring," Lucy said after a moment of consideration. She sipped her punch. "Honestly, seeing you in that is making me wish the tailcoat had never gone out of style."

Erik only replied with another soft laugh. He was too busy thinking that she was made for this sort of attire. Most women in the room were revealing far more of their bodies with skintight fabric or long slits up to their thighs, but Lucy's bare shoulders were far more enticing than any of that. He wanted to reach out and brush the tendrils of hair behind her ears and take off the mask so he could see her face, though he had to admit she exuded an air of mystique that shouldn't be possible with just a slip of black and pink covering the area around her eyes.

"I should go find my sorority sisters," Lucy said nervously. Erik frowned.

"Yes, it wouldn't do for anyone to recognize me talking to you," Erik agreed. He couldn't help the slight venom in his voice, but he did regret it when Lucy flinched.

"You knew what you were getting into," she said quietly. "There are already rumors. My brother asked me about it. I hate lying to him."

"Would it really be so bad if we stopped lying?" Erik asked. He reached out to lightly grip her elbow through the silky material of her dress. Lucy's head dipped slightly as she stared at the toes of her heels just peeking from below the pink material.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I wish things weren't so complicated."

Erik wanted to yell at her that they didn't have to be complicated. That things could be extremely simple actually. She could be his girlfriend, and they could tell everyone. If people didn't like it, then they could shove it. But he knew that she was worried about ties with Sabertooth and maintaining the reputation of her sorority. Lucy wouldn't give that up. Not for him.

"My brother wants me to go on a date with some alumni friend of his," Lucy said, breaking into Erik's thoughts.

"Who?"

"He didn't say. Blind date kind of thing."

"What'd you tell him?"

"I said I'd do it."

Erik felt his heart constrict. It was better that she slammed home the truth now, really. He'd already been thinking it. Whether or not people knew they were seeing each other, she still wasn't his girlfriend. She wasn't his dirty little secret; he was hers.

"That's probably a good idea," he said tonelessly. He realized that his hand was still on her elbow, and he slid it down to grasp her fingers lightly. He bowed over her hand and brushed a gentle kiss across her knuckles. "Have a good evening. Princess."

Lucy didn't know why she suddenly felt as if all warmth had left her body when his hand released her fingers. She could still feel his warm breath ghosting over the back of her hand, but the rest of her felt decidedly chilled. She clenched her hand into a fist in her skirt. She knew she was hurting him with the secrets and the sneaking around. He deserved better than that. He deserved a woman who wanted to be with him in a public and committed relationship, but Lucy was in no position to be that woman.


	7. Day 3, Part 1

**Okay, since I was a bit late on the day 2 posts, here's the day 3 two-parter!**

* * *

 **Day 3: Online**

 **Part 1**

 **"Online Songs" Blink-182**

 **(November)**

* * *

Lucy sighed at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She was dreading the date with Laxus's mystery brother. It didn't help that she hadn't spoken to Erik in the week since the Halloween dance. Not that this was really strange. Neither of them had much time lately for clandestine meetings. She missed him, but she knew she had to give him up.

"You look beautiful, Lucy," Erza said from the doorway. Lucy glanced over and offered a small smile. Her friend came in and stood behind her. "You know, if you don't want to go, we can always tell him you're sick."

"Thanks, Erza, but that's not necessary," Lucy said. She added another layer of mascara. "I need to do this."

"And Erik?" Erza asked quietly.

"Erik deserves better than secret rendezvous and an aversion to commitment," Lucy said. "We aren't you and Jellal. I don't know how you make it work, but I know that I just can't."

"I understand that," Erza said. Her voice cracked slightly. "Have you told him? He does deserve to hear it from you."

"Lucy, he's here!" Meredy squealed from the stairs before running back down.

Lucy stood without responding to Erza's question or even glancing at the redhead. Her miniskirt swished around her thighs and her stilettos clicked on the wood as she descended the stairs. She felt a shiver of trepidation run up her spine; she really should have asked her brother exactly who he was trying to set her up with. She smiled with relief as she reached the point of the stairs where she could see her date waiting by the front door, surrounded by giggling women.

"Bickslow!" Lucy said excitedly. She skipped down the last few steps and launched forward to hug him.

"Surprised, I see," Bickslow said with a laugh. "Worried Laxus was trying to hook you up with Stuart?"

"Or Macao," Lucy said with a frown. Bickslow laughed again and offered her his arm. Lucy wrapped her hand in the crook of his arm as he pulled her towards the door.

"Don't worry, ladies, I'll get your veep back at a mostly decent hour."

Lucy giggled as he led her outside to the blue Jeep waiting at the curb. Bickslow opened the car door for her, and she settled in happily. All of the dread from earlier was gone as she waited for her old friend to round the car and get in. She was slightly confused as to why Laxus had set her up on a date with Bickslow of all people, but at least she knew the night wouldn't be boring or uncomfortable.

"So where are you taking me, Bix?"

"Well, I was thinking give you the princess treatment with a load of traditional first date: romantic candlelit dinner, serenaded on an outdoor terrace, followed by watching a romantic drama from the balcony at the Palladium." He glanced at Lucy and laughed loudly at her grimace. "Or Plan B is parking as close to the screen as possible at the drive-in so we can throw popcorn at campy slasher flicks."

"Now you're talking!" Lucy exclaimed. "Stop by the convenience store to stock up on candy and soda?"

"Anything for you, beautiful," Bickslow agreed.

They pulled into a front row spot at the drive-in just before true sundown. Bickslow drew a blanket from the backseat to spread over the hood. Lucy kicked off her heels before getting out of the vehicle. Her date lifted her by the waist to set her on the hood before grabbing the snacks out of the car and joining her. Lucy popped open the bag of strawberry liquorice and leaned back against the windshield.

"So what've you been up to, Bix? I don't think I've seen you since graduation last year."

"I've been resigning myself to the life of an adult working for your parents," Bickslow said with a long-suffering sigh. "Did you know your old man is a slave driver? If I'd had any sense, I would've dragged out my degree for another three years, at least. Stay in as long as you can, Luce."

"I think my dad would have a problem with that," Lucy laughed. Bickslow hummed in agreement and offered her some chocolate. The cheesy drive-in ads stopped playing as the first film popped up.

" _The House on Sorority Row_ , though?" Lucy exclaimed as she recognized the opening credits.

"It's Greek night," Bickslow cackled. "Thought you'd appreciate it, Sunshine."

Lucy just grinned. It was so representative of Bickslow's sense of humor. She wondered what the rest of the lineup was, but she decided to let it be a surprise.

They quickly ran out of popcorn to throw. Lucy refused to let Bickslow waste the Milk Duds, but she still ended up launching a handful at the screen when _Hell Night_ appeared next. Lucy's sides hurt from giggling as Bickslow did an impressive impersonation of the guy from CinemaSins. Somehow she ended up cuddled next to him with his arm around her shoulders; they were under a second blanket that he had produced from the back of the jeep when Lucy started shivering. The nights were finally getting chilly. When _Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama_ appeared on the screen, Lucy let out a mock wail and buried her face in Bickslow's chest.

"No! Why would you bring me here? Is torture supposed to get you a second date? Because that is a terrible strategy." Lucy glanced up with her chin still on Bickslow's chest.

He was laughing so hard that it made her head jiggle, and it looked like he was having trouble breathing. She stuck her tongue out at him, which just made him laugh harder. She started to pull back to pout, but he wrapped his arm more tightly around her to keep her close. When Bickslow finally regained some composure, he looked back down at her and winked.

"Don't worry, Sunshine. I'll keep you safe from the evil trophy imp," he said. He settled his arm more firmly around her. "Your first question doesn't deserve a response, but as for the second one: honestly, I never thought I'd get a first date with you, Lucy."

She looked up at him in surprise, and she thought she caught a hint of a blush in the uncertain light from the movie screen.

"Oh come on, Bix, don't tell me you've been harboring a secret crush on me this whole time," Lucy said.

Now she was definitely sure that was a blush. It couldn't be. Her twin's Big Brother really had a thing for her? She'd been crushing on Bickslow from the moment her brother introduced her when she showed up to campus a year later than him after spending a gap year touring Europe. The star basketball player with the crazy blue faux-hawk was every future-sorority girl's dream, so naturally she'd assumed she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of him actually noticing her.

"Pretty much since I met you," Bickslow admitted quietly. "But you were my Little Bro's twin, and then you met Natsu. I figured if you went for a guy like him, you'd never be interested in an older guy like me."

Lucy silently thought of the other older guy who had caught her attention over the past months. Natsu was seeming like a terrible choice more and more lately.

"I get it if you aren't interested in dating, Lucy. But when Laxus told me what that pink-haired freak did to you… Well, even if you just need a rebound, I'm here."

Lucy didn't answer, but she did lay her head back on Bickslow's chest. Dating Bickslow would be easy. No one would bat an eye at their relationship, and she knew she'd always have fun with him. He was attractive, he knew her well, and even her father would probably approve of the match. It seemed like a perfect solution, except she'd already rebounded with someone else. Still, she'd already decided she had to give up on Erik, right?

Bickslow quickly diverted conversation back to their light-hearted heckling of the film. It was nearly 3am when they finally loaded back up in the Jeep and headed for Fairy Tail. Bickslow got out to walk her to the door, and Lucy took his hand to pull him back towards the vehicle.

"Hey, Bix, I had a lot of fun tonight," Lucy said. "I always have fun with you. I don't know if I'm actually ready to start dating again, but I don't want you to disappear for another year without me getting to see you."

Bickslow leaned in for a hug. He dropped a kiss on the top of her hair.

"So torturously bad movie gets me a second date after all?" He asked. Lucy giggled and nodded against his chest. He pulled away to grin down at her.

"I'll give you a call tomorrow, and we'll figure out a day," he said. He took her hand again and led her towards the house. "Now come on. I bet there are thirty women in there waiting for you to get inside so they can ambush you for details."

"Ah! Can't we just go back and sleep at the drive-in instead?"

Of course that wasn't really an option. Lucy said goodbye to Bickslow on the front steps, and he gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek before she went inside. As predicted, she was mobbed by something close to thirty of her sorority sisters giggling and demanding to know every second of her date with the hot former basketball star. Nearly an hour later she managed to extricate herself from them and make her way upstairs. Instead of heading straight for her room where she knew Cana would also be expecting a recap with any juicy details Lucy had decided to withhold from their sisters, she headed for Erza's room.

She felt guilty for the way she'd left Erza earlier that evening. The redhead's opinion was important to her, and she didn't want Erza to think she was being flippant about Erik's feelings. As a member of the E-Board, Erza could have a room to herself, but like Lucy, she had continued living with the same roommate she'd had throughout her university experience. Luckily, Lucy knew that Mira was still downstairs with the other girls gossiping about Lucy and Bickslow. The blonde knocked on the door and she heard something crash, followed by a muffled curse before the door opened. Erza's eyes and nose were red, and Lucy instantly knew it wasn't from sleeping. She stepped into the room and shut the door quickly before wrapping her arms around the other woman.

Erza let out a sob and tears fell on Lucy's neck. Lucy rubbed small circles on the redhead's back as she murmured what she hoped were soothing sounds. The role reversal was a little trippy, but it was the only thing Lucy could think to do. Erza finally pulled back and stumbled to the nearest bed where she collapsed. Lucy sat gingerly on the edge of the bed beside her while Erza reached for the box of tissues on the nightstand. Erza blew her nose perhaps longer than necessary before she brokenly explained.

"Jellal… It's over…" She broke down again, but she quickly pulled herself back together. "At the masquerade. I know it's been like a week now, but I… It's so hard!"

Lucy instantly pulled Erza back into a sidehug. The guilt she'd felt earlier was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. For a week Erza had been keeping this in. When Lucy broke up with Natsu, she'd had all of Fairy Tail and most of Sabertooth ready to rally around her and boost her spirits. She'd had Erza to introduce her to new people and Erik to make her forget the pain. Erza had none of that. So few people knew she was even with Jellal, and most of those who did were people that Erza couldn't talk to openly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lucy whispered. "I could have been there for you."

"You had your own problems with Erik," Erza muttered. "I didn't want my stupid break up to make your decision harder."

Lucy couldn't help shaking her slightly at that.

"Don't be ridiculous. Erik and I weren't even together. We were… I don't know. But a relationship it was definitely not. This is way more important." Lucy paused and considered her next words carefully. "I get it if you don't want to talk about what happened right now, but I think you should talk about it to somebody soon. It's not good to lock everything away. Even if you don't want to talk to me; you could talk to Ultear, maybe?"

Erza laughed humorlessly.

"Sure. Ultear. My secret best friend." Lucy let the venom in that statement pass as Erza continued. "I should have seen it coming really. I knew he didn't like the secrets. The hiding. Nearly two years of only being able to publicly be with your girlfriend in the summer and even then only if there was no chance of being seen by someone who went to the same school? Who would want that?

"But I didn't realize it was so bad." Erza grabbed another tissue and wiped at her eyes. "I thought if we could make it through another six months like this, we could make it through anything."

Erza fell silent. Lucy just resumed rubbing small circles on her sister's back.

"I thought I was going to marry him," Erza finally whispered. "I was going to propose. I had it all planned out. At graduation, in front of everyone, I was going to ask him to marry me. I imagined every detail. Now it will never happen."

She fell heavily onto her side. Lucy moved so she could swing Erza's legs onto the bed and help her under the blankets. She sat there with her, neither speaking again, until Lucy heard someone coming up the stairs. Lucy gave Erza's hand one last squeeze before she ducked out of the room, nearly colliding with a surprised Mira. Lucy slipped past her sister and went to her own room where Cana had thankfully already passed out. Lucy lay in bed still in her date clothes as she mulled over the conversation with Erza. She felt horrible for her sister and wished there was something she could do to help, but in a way, it made her feel better about her decision to stop seeing Erik. Of course, that thought brought up the guilt again, and Lucy fell asleep with a war of guilt, relief, and sadness raging inside her.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Another two weeks went by without Erik seeing her outside of their entrepreneurship lecture. The first week, he went to their usual meeting place at the library, but she never showed up. The second week, he passed by the café but kept walking when he didn't see her. The third week, he didn't bother going at all. It was pretty clear that she was over the situation, but he couldn't help checking his phone repeatedly to see if she'd decided to text him for a meet up. He threw himself into his training to the point that Makarov had to order him to leave the gym when he could barely lift his arms to hit the punching bag anymore.

Erik dragged his feet along the sidewalk as he strolled through the small downtown area. It was swamped with people as usual for a Saturday night. There was only one club and a dive bar on the strip, but both would be packed this evening. Erik kept his head down as he pushed past throngs of college students on the sidewalks. With midterms long over and finals still a few weeks away, the streets were particularly crowded. A lot of students would be heading home for Thanksgiving next weekend, so they were getting the partying out of their systems before the holiday season and finals madness took over.

Erik stumbled over a crack in the pavement and caught himself against a trashcan. Fatigue was finally setting in now that he had stopped trying to pound out his anger. He slowly pulled back from the metal bin and forced his feet forward again, only to trip once more as a small body collided with him. This time he fetched up against a lamppost. The girl who had run into him squeaked and apologized profusely before darting back to her friends who were giggling in the early stages of inebriation.

"Are you alright, Erik?"

He had to turn his head to the right to see Ultear reaching for his arm. He let her take some of his weight as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Just overdid it at the gym," he muttered.

"Typical," Ultear said. She laughed lightly. "Want some help back to the house?"

"Wouldn't want to take you away from the party," Erik said. He had his breath back, and he tried to pull away from her, but Ultear just pulled his hand so that his arm remained draped over her shoulder. She started walking slowly towards Greek Row with Erik in tow.

"Don't worry about it. It's too crowded tonight anyway," she said. "I was just delivering Macbeth some food at the shop. He's working late tonight. He seems to do that a lot lately."

Erik merely grunted. Ultear stopped suddenly, and Erik nearly tumbled forward before she managed to redistribute their weight to keep from hitting the pavement. Erik glanced up to see what had caused the hold up, and a chill wrapped around his organs.

"Bickslow, you freak!" Lucy shrieked, but she also giggled as the blue-haired man swung her around in a dance that in no way matched the music coming from the club behind them.

"Dance with me, beautiful," Bickslow said. He continued twirling her around. "The music may be shit, but we'll make our own rhythm."

"Can you two lovebirds chill?" Laxus said. He stood behind them with his arm wrapped loosely around a brunette who was clinging to him harder than the bustier she wore tried to cling to her oversized chest.

"Lighten up, Lax," Bickslow said, but he set Lucy back on her feet and intertwined his fingers with hers. "It's party time."

"Let's eat first, and then we can party," Laxus replied.

The four moved away down the street towards a restaurant, and Erik finally remembered how to breathe. He suddenly wanted to turn around and go back to the gym, but he knew Makarov would have locked up and left for the night.

"Let's go," Erik said. He started moving again, and Ultear fell in with him. She was oddly silent for a while. Erik expected her to immediately launch into an 'I told you so,' but she seemed preoccupied.

"Thanks for your help," Erik said when they reached Crime Sorciere. He wanted to just go to bed and collapse, but he wasn't entirely sure he could make it up the stairs at this point.

"I'll help you to the couch," Ultear said.

The house was largely quiet. Erik vaguely remembered Rufus saying something about going to see a play by the theater department. He and Freed had probably dragged the pledges and any actives they could find along with them. Jellal was the only one in the living room when Ultear helped Erik to sit on one of the lounges. The president of the frat had sprawled out on the couch by the wall as he flicked through Netflix without really choosing anything. He didn't even glance up as the other two entered.

"Alright now?" Ultear asked.

"I'll be fine," Erik grumbled. She nodded and turned to leave, but she stopped. Her gaze flicked from Jellal to Erik and back again a few times. She bit her lip. Erik sighed. "Spit it out, Ultear. What's on your mind?"

"It's just that… I'm sorry, Erik. Usually being right makes me happy, but I rather wish I'd been wrong in this instance."

"Wrong about what?" Erik scoffed. "The fairies and kitties picking a new boyfriend for her? An appropriate one?"

Jellal glanced up at that. Ultear merely nodded.

"Forget it. Nobody made that decision for her. The Heartfilia's make up their own minds. She was nothing more than a way to pass the time anyway."

Ultear and Jellal both flinched at that and exchanged a glance. Jellal motioned towards the door with his head, and Ultear took her leave. Erik waited for his friend to say something more about the Lucy situation, but he didn't. They spent the next two hours looking through the Netflix options before Jellal finally settled on a documentary. Erik passed out in the first five minutes as the exhaustion that had been temporarily waylaid by disappointment finally took over.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy fidgeted in her seat. The professor was going over material that he assured them all would make up the bulk of the final exam, but she found it difficult to concentrate. The source of her discomfiture shifted in his seat next to hers as he quietly tapped his notebook with the end of his pen. She'd been hyperaware of his presence for the past three weeks. She'd even considered taking a different seat, but with Sting in the class, she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that after sitting next to Erik for the past three and half months she suddenly wanted a new seat. That and most students were creatures of habit, so she figured taking a new spot would at least minorly irritate someone.

The prof finally wrapped up the lecture and hightailed it from the room. Lucy was only too glad to follow suit, but she found a hand on the arm of her chair barring her path. She glanced up at Erik's single blue eye and had to fight back a gulp.

"We need to finish that project," he said.

Lucy frowned in confusion, and he glared at her. Ah, yes, 'the project.' Lucy sighed and nodded. He removed his arm so she could stand before strolling out of the lecture hall. She contemplated bolting, but she knew how cowardly that would be. Instead she followed Erik's leisurely pace out of the building. Fall was finally making its presence known, and the entire plaza was a dull brown with a few patches of green weeds poking up here and there. Erik flopped down on the crunchy grass by one of the trees that were still hanging on to a few brown leaves despite the chill wind. Lucy shivered as she sank down next to him with her knees drawn up against her chest.

"At the risk of sounding repetitive, I know you owe me nothing, but you could have told me," Erik said. He tilted his head back to lean against the tree and stared up through the branches at the overcast sky. Lucy smelled the rain on the air, and she wondered if it was just a tease like all of the other potential storms lately.

"I told you at the masquerade," Lucy murmured.

"Bullshit." His voice was soft, but it still made her flinch.

"I'm sorry, Erik," she said. "You're right. I should have told you it was over. I just…"

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted. Erik rose to his feet and slung his bag back over his shoulder. "I just wanted to clear the air. Make it official. I wasn't your boyfriend, so I don't know why that was even important. At least with him you don't have to hide anything. I'm sure your sisters approve of him."

"Erik, it's not like that," Lucy said. She felt the lie on her tongue. "Bickslow is an old friend."

"Save it, Lucy. You don't have to explain anything to me." Erik put his hands in his pockets. "That's not really what I wanted to talk to you about anyway. I don't know if you care, but Jellal regrets ending it with Erza. He'll never go to her; he thinks he fucked up too royally. And he's too proud. We might have been doomed from the start, but those two… Just, tell her, okay?"

"What makes you think I won't do the same with her that you think I did with Yukino?"

Erik's gaze cut to her sharply, and he crouched down in front of her. He put a finger under her chin. The touch was gentle, but the look on his face was nearly feral. And for just a moment, she was scared of him. His scowl deepened at the fear that flitted across her features.

"You can be a bitch in a lot of ways, Emma. But you wouldn't hurt one of your sisters like that. I'm pretty sure Erza hasn't spoken to Ultear, but she has to be talking to someone. I'm guessing that's you. Just fucking tell her that he wants her back."

Erik pulled away from her and stormed across the plaza without glancing back. Lucy curled in around her folded legs and rested her forehead on her knees. The wind bit through her thin jacket, but she stayed where she was until the first raindrops filtered through the tree branches.

Lucy was soaked and shivering by the time she reached the house as freezing rain pelted her. It was time to pull out the sweaters and actual coats instead of the light jackets she'd been able to wear most of the month. A group of the sisters were huddling over textbooks in the den to the right as Lucy hurried up the stairs to get into some dry clothes. She had just finished dressing when the person she had planned to go looking for popped into her doorway.

"Erza, I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to you," Lucy said. She pulled her sister into the room and pushed her down onto Cana's bed before closing the door.

"I was just coming to talk to you about the ceremony for the weekend after we return from Thanksgiving break. What did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, okay, well we can discuss the ceremony first if you want," Lucy said. She was suddenly uncertain of how to begin. Erza shook her head.

"No, it seems you have something important on your mind. What is it?"

"Well… Have you spoken to Jellal since the masquerade?" Lucy asked. Erza's features seemed to sharpen.

"No. Why would I?"

"I know you two broke up, but… Maybe it was all a misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding?" Erza whispered. She got up and walked over to the window by Lucy's bed. "We were fighting in the anteroom by the coat check. It was an old argument, but one that didn't crop up often. I figured it would end the same as all the others. Fight about the secrecy, and then make up immediately. But this time, he told me he was through. He couldn't do it anymore. Then, he immediately left and went to Ultear. My supposed best friend."

Erza turned back to face Lucy. She had a hint of tears in her eyes, but her voice remained composed.

"They've always flirted in public. It helped to divert suspicion. At least, that's what I told myself. Now, I'm not so sure. What if he's really been with her this whole time? Or at least interested?"

Lucy quickly crossed the room and took Erza's hands.

"I don't believe it. Jellal would never cheat on you. And Ultear is definitely more interested in Erik than Jellal. Also, I know that Jellal regrets the break up."

"Oh? And how do you know that?" Erza asked. She gently drew her hands away. Lucy began fiddling with her fingers.

"I spoke to Erik. Please, Erza, just talk to Jellal. I can see how much you're hurting. At least try to—"

"I can't, Lucy," Erza interrupted. "If Jellal misses me… He'll have to come to me."

Lucy started to protest, but Erza held up a hand.

"Now, about the pledge ceremony."

Lucy sighed, but she let the president change the subject. She had told her like Erik asked, and that was the best that she could do.


	8. Day 3, Part 2

**Day 3: Online**

 **Part 2**

 **"Jesus Online" Bush**

 **(December)**

* * *

Music drifted through the ballroom at the family manor as dozens of wealthy business associates mingled. Several couples were actually dancing as the rest lined the walls. A 12-foot tree dominated one corner opposite the open bar, while a buffet took up the wall at the other end of the room. Lucy smiled brightly at everyone who caught her eye, but internally she was dreaming of the moment when she could escape to her room for the evening. Her evening dress was comfortable, but her heels were starting to annoy her. Still, her smile was genuine when Freed approached her.

"Another wonderful evening, Miss Heartfilia," he said.

"I suppose," Lucy said with a shrug. "Honestly, I prefer more intimate gatherings. With better music."

Freed smiled. She had to admit he looked dapper, if a bit out of style, in his suit and cravat. His long green hair had been pulled back from his face, and she'd never noticed before that he was actually rather handsome.

"Perhaps when we return to campus next month you will be able to attend a more intimate event," Freed said. Lucy's smile faltered. She wanted nothing more than to do just that, but as things stood…

"Freed, is there some secret to remembering people's names? Your father has introduced me to so many potential sponsors that I don't even know what _my_ name is at this point."

Lucy bit back a gasp as Erik appeared at Freed's side with his trademark scowl in place. He glanced over to see who Freed was talking to, and his scowl was briefly replaced by shock. It's not that he didn't know whose party they were attending; he'd just figured he could avoid the heiress all evening. Yet, he'd walked right up to her without noticing.

"Sorry, Erik. To be honest, I doubt they'll expect you to remember them. They just have to remember you," Freed said.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asked. She flinched as she realized how her words must have sounded. Erik froze, and his gaze turned stony.

"Freed's father is one of my sponsor's in this year's championship matches," Erik said. "He invited me to help me meet other potential sponsors."

"Sponsors?" Lucy asked. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Erik is returning to MMA fighting this year," Freed clarified. Lucy's eyes widened. She knew he'd been training again, but she didn't realize he was planning to go back in the cage so soon.

"But Ze—."

"I know," Erik cut her off harshly. "That's why I'm going back."

The trio stood in awkward silence for a moment until Freed was dragged away by a rather forward young lady for a dance. Erik stared down the room at the Christmas tree while Lucy tried and failed to take her eyes off of him. She missed him. It had been less than two months since she'd ended their… whatever it was. And already she missed his presence in her life. Natsu was a distant memory thanks to him. She wasn't sure exactly why, but for some reason, losing Erik hurt far more than Natsu's betrayal ever had. After a few more moments, Erik began walking away, but Lucy reached out on instinct and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her hand with a scowl before glancing up at her face.

"Dance with me," she whispered.

He wanted to decline. He wanted to get as far away from her as possible. Except that he didn't. Erik grasped her hand and led her onto the open floor. Lucy was mildly surprised that he actually knew the steps to the waltz. He held her at a respectable distance and refused to look at her.

"Do you have your first fight lined up?" She asked quietly. She wanted to move closer to him and close those few inches between them, but she knew that the distance she'd put between them wasn't really a physical thing.

"February."

The dance ended before she could think of anything else to say. Erik released his hold on her and turned away. She started to call out to him, but Bickslow appeared at her elbow and requested a dance.

Erik didn't allow his eye to seek out Lucy again until he was on the opposite side of the ballroom by the giant Christmas tree. His scowl returned as he saw her dancing with the blue-haired man. Despite the odd hair color, it was clear that her new boyfriend fit into the surroundings a hell of a lot better than Erik did. He'd opted for a solid black eye patch instead of his usual purple dragon, but even with that concession and a tailored suit, he knew that he didn't belong here. His throat was hoarse from chatting with Mr. Justine's business contacts from various clothing lines, some MMA-related and some not. He'd tried coating it with the expensive champagne circulating on trays throughout the room, but the bubbles just made the burn more noticeable.

Erik turned from the gut-twisting sight of Lucy in the arms of Bickslow to stare at the glittering tree. Silver and gold ornaments were scattered throughout to reflect the light from the chandelier and the ornate electric sconces on the walls. The thing had to be twelve feet tall, so that the tree-topper was just a blur of silver; he couldn't even tell what it was, though it didn't look like a star or an angel.

"Are you enjoying the party, dear?"

He turned to find a slightly older version of Lucy smiling at him. He'd been greeted by Jude and Layla Heartfilia when he arrived with the Justine's, but there had been many other people coming in behind them who needed to be received by the hosts, so he hadn't gotten a good look at either of them. She might as well have cloned herself to produce Lucy. They were even wearing similar gowns, though Lucy's glittered gold as she was twirled around the dance floor, and Layla wore a slightly less shimmery silver with a more conservative cut.

"Yes, Mrs. Heartfilia," Erik murmured as he suddenly realized he was staring. Layla laughed, and again his eye drifted back to Lucy as the similar sound reminded him of her lighthearted giggle.

"Please, call me Layla. I understand that you go to school with Lucy and Laxus. And of course, dear young Freed."

Erik merely nodded.

"Marcus mentioned that you and Freed are in the same fraternity."

Erik briefly wondered who Marcus was before realizing she must mean Mr. Justine. Despite knowing the man for three years, he'd never learned his first name.

"Yes, Crime Sorciere. Freed and I are founding members."

"Ah, Witch's Crime. An interesting name. But then, so is Fairy Tail, I suppose." Her easy laughter drifted through the room again, and she reached out to a passing server to grab two glasses of champagne. She handed one to Erik, which he accepted with a slight bow of his head.

"I hope Laxus and the Sabertooth boys aren't giving you too much trouble," she said as Erik took a sip. He nearly choked on the liquid in his attempt to not spit it all over her beautiful dress. Layla merely laughed again as she pounded on his back while he coughed to clear his airways. He tried to form his expression back to one of polite indifference, but Layla's smile disarmed him.

"I know my son, and I know the kitty cats. I doubt they've changed much since my sorority days. Back then, there was another new fraternity on campus, the Oracion Seis. For some reason or another, the two couldn't get along at all. The president went by the name of Brain. He and Jude hated one another." Layla took a sip as her eyes drifted to her husband laughing at a story being told to him by a large man with deep tan skin and long white hair.

"It's funny now. Jason and Jude are great friends, as you can see."

Erik regarded the two men. They certainly didn't look like lifelong friends or ancient enemies. If he'd seen them on the street, he wouldn't have taken them as even acquaintances really. He glanced back at Layla to find her watching him with a wry smile. He'd often seen Lucy with the same expression when she was giving him a lesson in X-Men lore. Erik didn't know how to respond because he wasn't even sure why she was telling him all this. He found his gaze wandering yet again to the younger Heartfilia lady, who had somehow ended up dancing with Freed.

"So, Erik, I understand that, like Gajeel, you get punched in the face for a living."

He turned to see Layla practically smirking at him, and he found himself answering with a grin of his own on instinct.

"One could just as easily say that I punch people in the face for a living," Erik said with a genuine laugh, his first of the night. "But to be fair, it is a little of both."

"I could make a quip about that being a metaphor for life in general, but that would be philosophizing, and I despise party philosophers," Layla said. She reached out and squeezed Erik's forearm gently. "I'm glad I was able to speak with you, Erik. I do hope that we'll see you again. Have a good evening."

With a final smile and slight wave, she disappeared into the crowd to mingle with the rest of her guests. Erik watched her vanish and found himself frowning slightly. The woman had a magnetic pull; it was like a giant ball of warmth and goodwill surrounded her that just spread to anyone who came within a few feet of her. So that was where Lucy got it. A flash of gold caught his eye as Lucy whirled past him, still dancing with Freed. He started forward without really thinking about it, but he was stopped by a light touch on his shoulder. He wanted to groan at people's propensity for approaching him on his blind side as he turned to view the other guest.

"I've wanted to speak with you, Cobra," Igneel Dragneel said. Erik had to fight another groan; he'd been actively avoiding this particular party guest all evening.

"What about, Mr. Dragneel?" He said. His voice was stilted, but he was trying to be polite. Igneel flinched just the same as he removed his hand.

"It has come to my attention that my— that Zeref has been released from prison," Igneel said. He looked extremely uncomfortable, but he continued. "I have also been told that he plans to return to the professional circuit as soon as he can. I… I wish to make a request."

"If you're going to ask me not to fight your son, that's a request I can't afford to agree to," Erik said.

"It's not that," Igneel said with a shake of his head. "I do not consider Zeref to be any son of mine. What he did to you is merely a small part of why I felt obligated to disown the boy."

Igneel smiled slightly at Erik's open shock. He knew that Igneel had cut ties with his son, but Erik had never realized that the man believed him when he said that Zeref was responsible for half-blinding him.

"No, my request is that you allow me to sponsor you."

Erik's eyebrows tried to crawl into his hairline at that.

"I wasn't certain at first if I should, but I do hope you'll at least consider my offer." Igneel offered another uncomfortable smile before disappearing back into the sea of suits and evening gowns. Erik was pretty sure that his brain was going to start spilling out of his ears soon. He downed the champagne in his glass before setting it on a passing tray and hurrying towards the nearest doors, which happened to lead to a veranda outside.

The air was cold but bearable. He missed seeing snow at Christmas, but he really didn't mind the mild Decembers in the southern Midwest. The slight shock of the temperature change from stepping outside helped to clear his head both from the two strange conversations and the champagne. Erik took a seat on the steps leading out to a wide open yard. A few evergreens surrounded the lawn, but most of the trees were bare oaks and dogwoods. The hedges around the veranda in place of rails were coated in shining white lights. The sky was surprisingly clear. It felt almost eerie sitting in the silent dark with the muffled sounds of music and laughter drifting from the ballroom.

"It's nice and quiet out here," a deep voice said behind him. Erik tensed, but he didn't move from his seat. His first inclination was to jump up and get into a fighting stance, but that was just instinct.

"It's pretty sweet digs, Heartfilia," Erik said. Apparently Laxus took that as an invitation because he came to sit beside Erik. He sat on the opposite ends of the steps, so at least he was still a good four feet away from Erik.

"My parents did well for themselves," Laxus said. He'd taken the time to grab a large, fur-trimmed coat, and Erik was mildly jealous of his foresight.

"Look, I've had about all the weird and unexpected conversations that I can handle for the night," Erik said roughly.

"Trust me. It wasn't my idea to come out here. My mother was worried about you," Laxus said. The admission stopped any further angry words Erik might have had.

"Layla seems like a wonderful woman," Erik murmured.

"She is that." They sat in silence for a while just watching the night. Erik sneezed violently just as a coyote howled somewhere rather nearby and something growled next to him. He glanced down to find an obese Pit Bull beside him. He wondered how the hell something so fat could move that quietly.

"Taurus, what the fuck, man?" Laxus said. He grabbed the dog's collar as the behemoth continued growling at the dark. "Don't even think about it, big guy. Those fuckers would gang up on you and eat you alive."

He stood up, though he had to bend slightly to keep his grip on the dog's collar.

"Looks like you just need some time to clear your head. I'll let Mom know. I'm not surprised. These kinds of events can get to you. Lucy still has trouble sometimes, and she was raised in it. I'll see you inside, Cobra."

Erik heard the door click shut as Laxus dragged the dog inside. He sneezed again and silently hoped that no other unwanted visitors, human or animal, would come to check on him. Although, he did muse as he stared at the moon that it wouldn't be so terrible really if Lucy came out. Better if she didn't, though. He could practically see her standing in front of him in that gold dress with her hair piled high on her head. It was so similar to the way she'd looked at the masquerade, though her gown tonight was definitely modern. He vividly remembered the feel of her skin under his fingertips from the too few evenings they'd spent together. Even the touch of her hand as they'd briefly danced lingered in his memory.

He wished he'd been less of an ass and claimed one more dance from her, but at the same time, he was glad he'd walked away. That magnetism she'd apparently inherited from her mother would just draw him back in again. She'd made her choice, and he respected it. He didn't have time for their clandestine fling right now anyway. Getting stronger, training hard to beat Zeref again. Those things were more important; they were all that kept him going. His fist clenched as he thought of Zeref. He was getting better at controlling the anger, though. The fact that he hadn't punched Igneel at the mention of Zeref's name was proof of that.

Erik stayed out on the veranda until his body shivered hard enough to make him take notice. He slipped in through the same door that he'd left by. The ballroom was still full of people, but it seemed that several guests had already departed. A glance at the giant clock opposite the tree showed that it was just past midnight.

"Erik, I was beginning to worry," Freed said as he approached from the left. At least one person here knew not to come up to him on his blind side.

"I'm fine. Just needed some air. How much longer?"

Freed shrugged, and Erik wondered how he could make such a move look so elegant.

"Father has repaired to the study with a few of his closer business associates. They're probably bullshitting about their golf prowess, but that could take a while. Particularly if Siegrain starts a chess match with someone.

"The governor is here?"

"Yes, he and Jude Heartfilia are quite close. He was a member of Sabertooth. Actually, many of the guests tonight are former Sabers or Fairies. It seems they stick together even after the degrees are completed."

Erik's eyes wandered over the room. Lucy was sandwiched between her brother and Bickslow looking ready to fall over. Layla was surrounded by women not far from her, and the dance floor had completely emptied while Erik was collecting himself. Few men remained in the room, most probably still in the study Freed had mentioned or gone home for the night. But one man stood alone near the buffet table.

"Not all of them are Sabers," Erik muttered before making his way to the lone man.

"Ah, the Cobra," the man said as Erik approached him. "I had hoped I would get a chance to speak with you tonight."

"I've been hearing that from a lot of people," Erik said. He extended his hand. "And most people call me Erik."

"Jason. Though in my college days my friends called me Brain. Few do now. I rather miss the old nickname." Jason shook the proffered hand before sipping at a glass of what looked like whiskey. "And I'm not surprised everyone wants to meet you. Personally, I was quite a fan before you left the cage. I'm rather excited to see you step back into it. When is your first fight?"

"February. I'm surprised anyone remembers me from back then. It's been years."

"Only the young think that three years is a long time," Jason chuckled. "Hardly a blink, my boy. You were rising fast. And it's my business to know who has the greatest potential in the sport. I'm surprised that Marcus didn't bring you to see me immediately. But then, we never did truly get on. Old college rivalries and such."

Erik wasn't sure which question to ask first. He'd come over to ask about the apparently defunct Oracion Seis, but now he was curious what connection Jason had with MMA. Jason waited patiently for Erik to sort through his thoughts.

"What exactly is your business?" Erik asked. Jason grinned, and Erik had a feeling that he was about to buy a used car in cash from a rundown lot next to a highway.

"I'm a promoter, my boy," Jason replied. "I scout talent such as yourself to bring about the best matches possible. Not just in mixed martial arts, but also boxing, wrestling, really any combat sport."

Jason glanced up suddenly at the main doors by the Christmas tree. He grimaced before turning back to Erik with an apologetic smile. He pulled out a business card from a pocket inside his pinstripe suit.

"I'm afraid I must be going. Take this. If there's someone in particular you want to fight, just give me a ring, and I'll see what I can do to arrange it." Jason leaned in slightly closer. "No one else can get you in the ring with him. I guarantee it. Even without his conviction for it, everyone knows he took your eye. They won't risk a match. However, I am not afraid of bloodshed."

He smiled and clapped a hand on Erik's shoulder in farewell before leisurely strolling across the room to the double doors where a slender man with a hooked nose awaited him. Freed waited until Jason had left before coming back up to Erik. Or rather, he was detained by the same rather forward young woman from earlier in the evening so that he was only able to reach Erik after Jason had left.

"I see you met Brain after all," Freed said. He sounded slightly guilty, which made Erik raise an eyebrow at him. "My father requested that I keep you away from him if possible. I should have told you, Erik. But, honestly, I actually agree with my father on this one."

"So do I, Cobra" Gajeel said from Erik's right side. Erik turned to glare at him.

"I swear to God if one more person pops up on my blind side like that tonight they're getting my fist in their face," Erik groaned.

"Sorry," Gajeel said. He added a shrug that indicated he wasn't the least bit contrite. "But Freed is right, Cobra. Brain is a great promoter, but he's also developed a reputation for mixed matches. Not necessarily unfair fights, but definitely people who shouldn't be in a ring together, and sometimes bad shit happens."

"Bad shit, huh?"

"You lost your eye in a street brawl; you know what I mean," Gajeel said. Erik's fist clenched instinctively, and Gajeel's eyes followed the movement pointedly before coming back to meet Erik's eye. "You know you have no business in a cage with him, yet. No one will organize that fight. I hope that even Brain isn't that stupid. You both go in there, one of you comes out in a body bag."

"You really think I'd kill him over an eyeball?" Erik asked. He forced his hand to relax into an open palm.

"Not intentionally," Gajeel admitted. "But unlike most of the people you've been buttering up tonight, I've seen you lose control. I'll vouch that you're not the same guy now, but I won't vouch that you can't turn into that guy again when you see him."

Erik took a deep breath.

"Well, that's what the psych eval next month is for, right?" Erik said bitterly. "See if I'm sane enough to get back in the ring without paralyzing anyone?"

"I guess so," Gajeel said. He turned and stiffly walked over to the Heartfilia twins. Erik watched him walk away until his eye shifted up to Lucy, who was staring back at him. Her expression was unreadable from that distance. Erik turned so that he could face Freed with his back completely to the heiress.


	9. Day 4, Part 1

**Day 4: Color**

 **Part 1**

 **"Colour" by Soulstice**

 **(January/February)**

* * *

Lucy settled into a seat near the middle of the conference table. There was only one other person in the room, and she was almost surprised that they were even there since class wouldn't be starting for another twenty minutes. She was kind of surprised that the room was even open, but the last class must have left the door open after vacating. She smiled at the purple-haired guy across the table. He blushed and ducked his head to stare intently at his notebook. She held in a giggle at his apparent shyness.

Other students began trickling in. Lucy knew most of them from other literature or creative writing courses. One of her particular writing buddies dropped into the seat to Lucy's right and demanded an update on a story that Lucy had started the previous semester. She was so busy describing the way she had changed a secondary character to enhance a plot point that she didn't even notice the professor entering the room. He had to clear his throat rather loudly before Lucy turned to face him with wide eyes and slightly pink cheeks.

"I hope I'll hear more about this story later in the semester," the professor said with a chuckle. He had taken the seat at the head of the table. "And I think I've found who will be introducing themselves first."

An uncertain giggle went up around the room, but a few students had genuine smiles rather than the nervous first day of a workshop variety. Levy had told her that a lot of people took this professor multiple times because he was fabulous, which is what had made Lucy sign up for this specific block in the first place. She just gave the handsome older man a grin; she didn't mind being the opening act.

"So, welcome to Literature and Creative Expression, or whatever I named it this semester. I forget. Anyway, today we'll just introduce ourselves, name, major, age, yada-yada. Whatever you want to talk about really, though I do encourage talking about the type of writing you like to do, and just for shiggles, let's throw out your favorite classic work."

He gestured to Lucy, and she turned so that she could make eye contact with each member of the room as she spoke.

"I'm Lucy! Junior, Creative Writing major, freelance copywriter, Vice President of Fairy Tail, and editor for one of the literary journals on campus, Sorcerous Prose. I write romantic adventures and fantasy. And if I had to choose just one classic… Okay, I can't pick just one. My favorites are _Gone With the Wind_ by Margaret Mitchell and _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ by Oscar Wilde."

"Convenient considering that we'll be studying Wilde later in the semester," the professor said. "Next."

There were only fifteen people in the room, and most of them were far less inclined to talk about themselves than Lucy was. She really hoped everyone would get over their fears of public speaking, especially given the small class size and the apparent workshop style. She mentally sighed as she realized that there was a very good chance she would end up helping the professor to carry the discussions in yet another course. Lucy tried to remember the names of her classmates as they introduced themselves, though she wouldn't bother trying to remember details until she knew if they were actually going to stick around for the whole semester. She already knew half of them at least by face from other classes, so she tried to focus mostly on the newbies, including the purple-haired boy, who was apparently named Nathan and recently joined Crime Sorciere.

The classroom door opened as the last person introduced herself. The professor merely motioned the new person inside and introduced himself as Capricorn.

"I have a real name, but it's not terribly important. I write under Capricorn, so that is what you may call me. I've written a number of books, how many I forget—you'll find that I can be rather forgetful, hit over the head one too many times, I'm afraid—but most of my novels are in the hardboiled crime style. Now, I should probably explain more about the course, but first, the latecomer here is my T.A." Capricorn gestured over his shoulder to the man who had come in earlier. Lucy's breath caught in her throat when she caught sight of the purple dragon eyepatch and the single deep blue eye staring at her. Then, her brow furrowed in confusion; he merely arched an eyebrow at the look.

"Name is Erik," he said. He shifted his gaze to sweep around the room.

"Come on, Cobra," Capricorn chided him. "You know you'll have to do a better intro than that."

"Alright, you old goat," Erik said with a groan. "Senior, 25, Kinesiology major, MMA fighter, which is why Cap here calls me Cobra."

"Favorite classic?"

"Oh geez." Erik sighed, but he didn't hesitate before saying, " _Emma_."

"By Jane Austen?" Lucy blurted out.

"Know any other author with that book title, princess?" Erik asked. He wanted to kick himself for that nickname slip. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking of her that way, not after seeing her at the Christmas party. At least he hadn't called her by his other favorite nickname for her.

Capricorn cocked an eyebrow at him, but the professor changed the subject by launching into a description of how the course was going to work before assigning a reading from Jonathon Swift's _A Modest Proposal_ and telling everyone to bring two pages mimicking the style to their next class. Lucy gathered up her notebook and stashed it in her messenger bag as slowly as possible while the girl beside her chattered something about wanting to see the revised edition of that story as soon as Lucy had a chance to send it to her.

When she realized that Erik was staying in the room to talk to Capricorn, she sighed and let the girl drag her outside. A few steps down the hall, she made some excuse that barely even registered and waved goodbye to the other woman before heading back to the room. She leaned against the wall and waited what seemed like an eternity for Erik to emerge. He and Capricorn finally came out, and she was afraid that Erik would just run away, but instead he said goodbye to the professor and stood in front of her with a blank expression.

"Grab some coffee?" Lucy practically whispered. Erik looked like he really wanted to say no, but he ended up nodding and leading the way out of the liberal arts building. Neither said anything until they were settled at a table by the window in the library café. Lucy gripped her cup nervously while Erik stared out at the overcast sky and the mostly gray campus.

"How were the rest of your holidays?" Lucy asked. She took a ginger sip of her chai, but she just got a singed tongue for her efforts.

"What do you actually want, Emma?" He asked. Lucy cringed slightly, but she squared her shoulders and lifted her head so that she was looking at him dead on.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I handled things last semester."

"It's fine. We're good," Erik said. "Is that all? I need to get to the gym."

Lucy lunged reflexively to grab his hand as he started to stand. She retracted her hand immediately, but the action kept him in his seat for a bit longer.

"No, that's not all. Look, I… I know that I screwed up whatever you want to call the situation we had, but I… I was hoping that we could be… friends?"

"Friends?" Erik asked. "Let me guess, secret friends?"

"Not necessarily…" Lucy replied. Her fingers tapped idly at the tabletop. "I mean, you train at Gajeel's gym, and I'm there a lot, so it's not like we never come into contact. You're the TA for one of my classes, and we were partners for a different class project last semester. It's not so weird that we would be friendly."

"Why do you care?" Erik asked. The fact that his voice was filled with genuine curiosity rather than scorn gave her a sliver of hope, so she decided she should be as honest as she could.

"I miss hanging out with you," she admitted. "We have so much in common, and you're one of the only people that I can really talk to about superheroes and literature… Speaking of, how did you end up as the TA for Capricorn? That's a hugely coveted spot by the English majors."

"I've known Cap for something like ten years, so he offered me the job when I told him I couldn't get a teaching assistant spot with anyone in my department since they were all taken by grad students this year." Erik tried to shrug it off, but he was still reeling a bit from her admission. She actually missed him. Sure she said that it was the hanging out that she missed, and just in a friendly capacity, but she fucking missed him, maybe even as much as he missed her. It was a start anyway.

"Oh, well that's cool," Lucy said. She hurriedly took another sip of her tea and instantly regretted it as she worsened the burn on her tongue. She grimaced, and Erik slid a bottle of water out of his bag to hand to her. She took it with a grateful smile.

"Anyway, I should let you get to the gym," Lucy said. She stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. She took another swig before handing the water bottle back to him. "I don't expect you to forgive me overnight or anything, and if you don't want to be friends with me… I get it. But, you know where to find me, and I mean, we'll be seeing each other, so, yeah… Um, see you later?"

"Yeah, see you later," Erik said. She gave him another hesitant smile before dashing out of the café just as it started to sleet. Tiny bits of ice and rain bounced off her puffy white jacket as she dashed across the plaza.

Erik watched her disappear before resigning himself to also getting pelted with sleet as he made his way across town. Part of him wanted to jump on her offer of friendship, and a bigger part of him scoffed at the idea of being friendzoned. It took him until he reached the gym—after a thirty minute bus ride to avoid getting sick walking in the rain—before he reached a decision; he would just let things play out, and see where it went. They hadn't put a label on their earlier interactions, so why put a giant neon "just friends" sticker on them now?

He pushed open the doors of the gym and felt instant peace wash over him. Nothing could calm him down like this place. He changed quickly in the locker room before heading to the open gym floor with the cage holding pride of place in the center.

"You're late," Rogue said when Erik strolled in.

"Got held up after class."

Erik circled Rogue in the cage for a while as he practiced his strikes and kicks by hitting the mitts on Rogue's hands. A few weeks after Erik began training at the gym, Rogue started randomly showing up and helping out the coaches during the group training sessions. Erik generally trained on his own outside of those daily groups, and somewhere along the way, Rogue started showing up with him when he wasn't in class. Erik was grateful for the help, even if it was unasked for, or maybe because it had been unasked. His Little Bro knew him almost as well as Macbeth did at this point. Come to think of it, Erik hadn't seen much of Macbeth lately.

"You seem out of it today," Rogue noted as he moved one of the mitts lower to catch a spinning back kick.

"Brain's not shutting off like it should," Erik grunted as he threw a few jabs. He felt calmer since entering the gym, but his usual focus was missing from the practice. His mind kept jumping from one thing to another like a puppy let loose in the backyard for the first time. He couldn't afford this kind of distraction right now; he only had a few more weeks until his first fight since the hiatus. His sparring sessions with the other gym members proved that he was getting back into form, but he still wasn't at the level he wanted to be.

Somehow he pushed through the rest of his time in the gym. He'd worked out a deal with Makarov for extra time alone in the gym while he was getting back into fighting shape, but the old man was worried that Erik would overdo it. He kept him to strict time limits, which Erik tried his best to stick to. Sometimes it was a struggle, but today he was relieved to finally head out of the gym with Rogue after a quick shower.

He nearly ran over Ultear as they exited the building.

"My bad," he said as he reached out a hand to steady her when she teetered on the curb after avoiding the collision.

"It's okay," she said. She took in his wet hair and gym clothes under his trench coat. Her eyes drifted briefly to Rogue, but she didn't pay him any mind. "Done with training for the day?"

"Yeah, heading home now," Erik said.

"Grab some dinner with me," Ultear said. Erik wanted to refuse on principle since she'd basically issued a command rather than a request, but he noticed the tension in her shoulders and the tight lines around her eyes. He nodded.

"You down, Rogue?"

"Naw, I'm just going to head to the dorms," Rogue said after glancing at Ultear. Something about her look told both of the guys that she didn't want anyone but Erik going for this meal. Erik waved slightly and followed Ultear to a café down the street. They settled in a corner booth after stripping off their coats.

"So what's up?" Erik asked after the waitress took their orders.

"Nothing's up," Ultear said quickly. Erik lifted an eyebrow at her. She fidgeted slightly and played with the buttons on the coat beside her. "I just didn't want to eat alone; that's all."

"Okay," Erik said slowly, drawing out the two syllables. They sat in silence for a while before Erik decided the situation was just too weird. He wasn't sure that he had ever actually been alone with Ultear before, except perhaps the night she helped him home after he wore himself out at the gym. Incidentally, that was also the night that Makarov instated the time limits on him. Other than that, they really only saw each other at mixers or campus events. He wasn't sure how to act around her without a purpose behind their interaction.

"So, Greek Week's coming," Erik said.

He really couldn't think of anything else they had in common. It seemed that Ultear had been facing the same issue because she latched onto his conversation topic like a buoy at sea. By the time their food arrived, they were chatting calmly and laughing over things from the previous year when Crime Sorciere and Grimoire Heart had teamed up for the Greek Week events. Anyone looking on would think they were actually close friends rather than just close acquaintances. Actually, the way Ultear laughed and reached across the table to grip Erik's hand, an uninformed onlooker might suspect that they were something more than friends.

Erik suddenly felt a tingle run up his spine as if someone was watching him, and he looked around the café. He expected it to be nothing, but he actually did find the storm grey eyes of Laxus Heartfilia staring at him with a scowl. Erik kept his own face impassive as he turned back to Ultear. He couldn't think of anything he had done to piss off the Saber. They'd actually been getting along really well since Erik started training at the same gym. Laxus didn't actually fight in the cage, but he participated in all of the group training sessions anyway. He would've made one hell of a heavyweight fighter, but Erik suspected that his father would frown upon his heir getting beat to shit for money he didn't need.

He tried to focus back on what Ultear was saying, but he could still feel that niggling tingle on his back that told him Laxus was still staring at him. Ultear noticed his inattention to her and glanced over his shoulder. Her eyes widened slightly before she lowered her gaze back to her plate. It had only lasted a moment, but Erik could almost swear that he'd seen sadness there before she turned away. Now he was really confused.

COLU*COLU*COLU

"I thought Yuki didn't want to do anything for her birthday?" Lucy said as she walked across campus with Sorano.

"She does this every year. I swear I don't understand how she can be so modest all the time," Sorano said. "She acts like we wouldn't want to celebrate her birthday. I've been trying for years to get it through her head that it's no problem, and that it's supposed to be all about her, but she won't listen."

"Or maybe she just prefers spending time on her own. I mean it's her birthday, so she can do whatever she wants," Lucy suggested. Sorano snorted, and Lucy knew the conversation was over. She actually kind of agreed with Sorano that Yukino shouldn't be alone on her birthday. They reached Yukino's dorm building in silence and waited for someone to come out so they could slip inside since they didn't have an I.D. to open the door. The trek through the halls brought back a few nostalgic memories of living there with Cana, meeting Natsu, and trying to join in on the dorm events in the common area when she wasn't swamped with pledge duties.

Sorano tapped excitedly on the door to her sister's room and danced around as she waited for it to open. When her knock went unanswered for too long, she twisted the handle, not actually expecting it to open, but the door swung inward.

"I've told her and told her to keep this thing locked," Sorano groaned as she stepped inside. There was a short hall to the common room with a bathroom to the side. Lucy decided to wait in the hall outside the suite, but she found herself running inside as Sorano shrieked loudly enough that Lucy was sure she'd just found Yukino's corpse in the room. Lucy skidded to a halt in the common room and her mouth dropped open when she saw why Sorano had actually screamed.

Yukino was desperately trying to detach herself from a very confused Macbeth, who was trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. The silver-haired girl eventually fell off the couch with a startled 'Eep.' She quickly pushed to her feet and tried to keep her hysterical older sister from reaching Macbeth so she could beat him to death. Lucy snapped out of her shock and leapt forward to help by grabbing Sorano. She trapped the other woman's arms at her waist and dragged her out of the room before thrusting her unceremoniously into the hallway. Lucy closed and locked the door hurriedly before going back to the common area. She ignored Sorano beating on the door and cursing violently, but she did send a silent apology to anyone else in the dorm building who had to listen to that.

She stopped again at the edge of the room when she saw Yukino crouched on the floor as she sobbed. Macbeth had finally woken up enough to get off the couch, and he was trying to calm the small woman. Lucy ran over and pushed Macbeth back so she could wrap her arms around her shaking Little. Lucy stroked the younger woman's hair and whispered nothings in her ear as she rocked back and forth slightly. She idly thought that there had been far too many of these episodes this year, and she decided she would have to yell at Sorano when this was over.

"Should I go?" Macbeth asked nervously. Lucy spared him a quick glance before turning her attention back to Yukino.

"No, don't you dare. I'm so not going to be responsible for your death and Sorano's incarceration," Lucy said. Yukino wailed at that, and Lucy hugged her tighter. "Shh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You know Sorano won't actually kill him. She just needs to calm down. Everything will be fine."

"How?" Yukino sobbed. "Everyone's going to hate me! I should have listened to you, Lucy."

"Hey, look at me," Lucy said. She moved her hand from the back of Yukino's head so she could force the girl's chin up. "I never told you not to date Macbeth; I just said it wouldn't be easy. And it won't. But you're our sister, and everyone will get over it."

Lucy silently hoped that she was right about that. Everyone in the house loved Yukino. Surely they wouldn't let the fact that she was dating a guy from Crime Sorciere change that? She just wished she was as positive about it as she tried to sound for Yukino. As Yukino calmed down, Lucy realized that the yelling from the hallway had stopped. Either Sorano was patiently waiting for them to emerge, or she had gone to the house for reinforcements. Lucy wasn't quite sure which would be worse right now. She rubbed at her temple which had begun to ache fiercely. So much for a relaxing day at the spa.

"We should go talk to your sister," Lucy said as she pulled back from the hug. Yukino shook her head violently and latched onto Lucy's arm. Lucy tried to hold in the sigh of frustration, but it slipped out. That headache wasn't going away any time soon.

"Alright, I'll go talk to your sister," Lucy amended. "You two stay here. If Sorano comes back without me, do not let her in. Got it?"

She glared at Macbeth because she knew he was the one who would really need to enforce that rule. He nodded and crawled back to wrap his arms around Yukino from behind as Lucy stood.

"I'll be back soon."

When Lucy reached the house, everyone was in a state of panic. Lucy was immediately mobbed by her sisters as she stepped through the door. Apparently Sorano was too distraught to speak with any sort of clarity, and no one was entirely sure what was going on, though they knew it was world-ending.

"Everybody calm down, please!" Lucy yelled to little actual effect. Mira pushed to the front. Her eyes were wide and tear-filled.

"Is she really dead?" Mira sobbed.

"What?" Lucy asked. "No, Yukino's fine."

Everyone sighed in relief, and Lucy thought she might have a chance to explain, but she missed her slight opening and the girls began babbling over one another again. It didn't help that Sorano was sobbing loudly on the sofa with Meredy and Juvia surrounding her in one of their epic hugs. Lucy slapped a hand over her face in exasperation while the increasingly loud demands for answers swirled around her.

"Quiet!" Erza's commanding voice soared over everything else and brought the girls to nearly instantaneous silence. Lucy cast a grateful look at the president standing at the top of the stairs. Her hair was rumpled and she was still in her pajamas even though it was nearly one in the afternoon.

"Now, what's going on?" Erza took a couple more steps down. Everyone started to reply, but Erza held up a finger, and they quieted again. "Lucy, what happened?"

Lucy gulped as everyone's eyes focused on her again.

"Sorano is upset because when we went to see Yukino… Well, apparently she has a boyfriend she's been hiding from us. That's all," Lucy said. She tried to smile, but she knew that wasn't going to be enough to satisfy them.

"But why wouldn't she tell us?" Mira asked. She looked genuinely hurt the younger woman she was particularly close to hadn't confided in her. A wail emanated from the sofa, and Lucy groaned.

"She was worried that we wouldn't approve," Lucy said slowly.

"Just spill it already, Lucy. Who the hell is she dating?" Cana demanded. The others chorused their agreement, and Lucy tried to surreptitiously place her hand on the doorknob behind her so that she could make a hasty retreat if necessary. She told herself that it was less about her safety than warning Macbeth and Yukino that they needed to leave town immediately.

"Macbeth," Lucy said with a heavy sigh. "She's dating Macbeth."

There was a pause before everyone yelled "Who the hell is that?"

Lucy glanced up the stairs hoping to find salvation, but all she saw was Erza's foot disappearing as she ran away. _Coward_ , Lucy thought. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, she didn't actually have to answer as Sorano chose that moment to find her words again.

"He's that piece of shit from Crime Sorciere who hit on her when she was just 17!" Sorano screamed. There was a collective gasp before the angry rants started again. Lucy gripped the doorknob as she wondered what to do now. Cana appeared at her side. The brunette was the only sister who didn't seem completely pissed now.

"We need to do something or this is not going to end well," Cana murmured. Lucy nodded.

"You lock the back door and guard it. I'll keep watch on this one," Lucy said. "Nobody leaves this house until they calm down. Agreed?"

Cana offered a mock salute before wending her way through the throng of people in the foyer to slip into the kitchen. Several of the women attempted to bodily remove Lucy from in front of the door so they could go hunt down the newly revealed couple, but the blonde remained firm. Well, mostly firm. Somehow somebody's hand slipped past to pull the door open, and Lucy was barely able to dart out and slam it closed from the other side. She pulled against it with all of her strength as she silently prayed that the handle wouldn't break. She was so absorbed in her self-appointed task that it didn't even register that she had run into someone when she exited.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Lucy turned her head slightly to regard her brother. Laxus glared down at her with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for her reply.

"I'm glad you're here," Lucy said a little breathlessly. There was another sharp tug from the other side of the door and she let out a slight "oomph" as she refocused on keeping her sisters imprisoned in the house. "Help me hold this thing shut."

"And why exactly am I doing this?" Laxus asked. Still, he reached out and grabbed the handle so that Lucy could duck under his arm to sit with her back against the wall. She took a few deep breaths as she waited for her heart rate to slow down.

"They're on the warpath," Lucy said. "We found out Yukino's dating a guy from Crime Sorciere, and the ladies are… displeased."

Laxus snorted at her understatement, but he kept holding the door.

"Which one?"

"Which one what?"

"Which criminal?" Laxus said.

"Oh, Macbeth. I think he's the secretary of the frat."

"Ah, the emo guy. Didn't think that would be her type."

Lucy shrugged.

"So, what's the plan, Twinkie? Am I just supposed to hold this door shut all day until they pass out from exhaustion? And what if somebody realizes you have a backdoor?"

"Cana's guarding the back," Lucy said. She grabbed her hair and groaned. "And I don't know about the other part. I just want them to calm down and listen to me. Yukino's fucking terrified that everyone will hate her now. I told her that's not true, but I seriously doubt that anyone's going to be supportive of her relationship, either. It's so fucking stupid."

She punctuated each word of her last sentence by banging her head against the wall behind her. Laxus chuckled. It was only as Lucy looked up at the sound that it occurred to her that her brother's arrival was exceedingly convenient.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lucy asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, but it looks like you've got enough on your plate right now. Once this is all figured out, come find me at Sabertooth," he said. "But you aren't going to accomplish anything by sitting out here."

He reached down with his free hand and lifted Lucy to her feet by her arm.

"You'll figure out some way to calm them down. You're good at things like that. The Heartfilia leadership quality," he said with a smirk. "Now, go get 'em."

Without any further warning, Laxus swung open the door a bit and shoved Lucy through before slamming it behind her again. She assumed he was still holding it shut for her. She cringed at the angry yells from the girls still in front of the door as well as the ones in the kitchen berating Cana. Then, she squared her shoulders and lifted her head.

"Alright, Fairies, enough!" Lucy yelled. This time, she didn't wait for them to quiet down before continuing. "So you don't like who Yukino's picked to date? Big freaking whoop. It's not your choice, so get over it. You don't have to hang out with him. I'm not even saying you have to encourage it."

Lucy looked around as she realized that everyone was finally listening to her. Even Sorano was staring at her with her mouth wide open. Lucy swallowed harshly and carried on without really knowing where she was going with this.

"Yukino is scared. She thinks everybody will hate her because she likes somebody that's unpopular. We need to show her that we're still her sisters and we still love her."

"But that criminal—," Sorano started to protest, but Lucy held up a hand to silence her.

"Look, Sorano, Yuki's young. We all dated some doozies when we were young. I mean, look at my stupid ex." A few people muttered agreement, which Lucy took as a positive sign. "Eventually she'll get tired of him. Or vice versa. It's a young girl kind of thing. She's new to university; there's so much freedom. She's stretching out her wings, and we need to support that. So you don't like the guy, so what? It's probably just a phase anyway. And when it ends, she'll need us to be there to pick her up."

Lucy was amazed and slightly appalled by the stream of bullshit she was spouting, but judging by the multiple nodding heads in the crowd, this was the right angle to keep them from making things worse for Yukino.

"So, for now, let her be. Don't give her any shit about it, okay?"

There was a general murmur of reluctant acquiescence. Sorano still looked like she wanted to argue, but Lucy gave her a small glare. Yukino may have been Sorano's little sister by blood, but she was Lucy's Little Sister by ceremony, and Lucy would be damned if she would let Sorano make things harder for the younger girl. Sorano backed down and went back to the couch where Meredy and Juvia were willing to listen to her rant. The other girls drifted away slowly and Lucy turned to the door to let Laxus know his services were no longer required. After bidding goodbye to her twin, she turned back to the foyer to find Cana grinning at her.

"Should we go tell the birthday girl the good news?" Cana asked. Lucy nodded, and the two started across campus.

Cana chattered rapidly about the events at the house and the boys at Crime Sorciere, but Lucy barely heard her. She was too busy thinking over the words she had spoken to her sisters. She didn't actually believe most of them. Yukino knew what she wanted, and that was Macbeth. Lucy didn't honestly believe that it was just a phase while enjoying newfound freedom anymore than Lucy's rendezvous with Erik had been. She was also ashamed that she felt a little jealous that now Yukino and Macbeth could be together publicly. It still wouldn't be easy for them with so much animosity towards Crime Sorciere from the other Greeks, but at least they didn't have to sneak around anymore.

"Earth to Lucy," Cana said as she thumped Lucy's nose. The blonde jerked at the contact and stared at her roommate. "Geez, what's up with you? You went all spacey on me."

"Just thinking about Yukino," Lucy said. At least it was half-true.

"Whatever, we're here. How do you think they'll take the news?"

"Let's stop speculating before we start and just find out," Lucy said. She grabbed the door as someone walked out and headed through the dorm to inform the couple of their somewhat acceptance.

* * *

It was the next day before Lucy remembered that Laxus had wanted to talk to her. The previous night had been tense when Yukino showed up. Most of the girls were true to their word and treated her as though nothing was different, but there were a few that were simply ignoring her, and Sorano was still being a straight up bitch. Lucy had gratefully fallen into bed after Yukino went home for the night. She'd had to raincheck a date with Bickslow to sort everything out. She was kind of glad, though. Her brain was a mess from playing peacemaker, and she was finding it more and more difficult to convince herself that she wasn't jealous of Yukino and Macbeth.

She finally pulled herself out of bed and took a quick shower before making her way across the street to Sabertooth. The house was still dead silent. It was only 11, so most of the brothers wouldn't be up for another couple of hours on a Sunday. She found her brother reclining at the dining room table as she expected, but she hadn't expected the other man sitting with him.

"Hey Bix, what're you doing here?" Lucy asked. She thought about pulling out a chair next to her brother, but she hopped up to sit on the edge of the table instead. She swung her feet in a subtle attempt to alleviate some of her nervousness at seeing him.

"I was already in town when I got your message last night, so I figured I'd just party with the boys and head home today," her sort-of boyfriend said. He had a sleepy smile as he looked at her. "How'd things work out with your Little?"

Lucy sighed heavily and put her face in her hands for a moment.

"They'll get over it, but some of the girls are still being bitches," Lucy said. Laxus grumbled, but he was staring studiously at his laptop when Lucy glanced at him.

"Sounds like you need out of there for a bit," Bickslow said. He rose slowly to his feet and stretched. Lucy couldn't help admiring the play of his muscles under the tight t-shirt. He grinned at her not-so-subtle ogling, and continued, "Let me grab a shower and I'll take you for brunch."

Lucy's stomach did flip-flops for a moment, but she nodded. She wasn't entirely sure that she was ready to spend time with Bickslow now that she was questioning everything she had previously believed about dating an outcast. Bickslow was safe. He was amazingly fun and thoughtful, and it didn't hurt that he was damned hot. Still, he didn't linger in her thoughts and turn her insides to mush the way a certain Crime Sorciere member did. She kept hoping that Bickslow would chase away the memories of her brief time with Erik, but there was no luck with that so far. She mentally sighed as Bickslow headed upstairs.

"I'm glad you and Bix are getting along so well," Laxus said. He took a sip of his coffee without glancing away from the laptop.

"Yeah, he's a great guy," Lucy said. She wished she could put a little more enthusiasm into the statement. Laxus finally looked at her with one eyebrow raised. She just shook her head and changed the subject. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Laxus stilled for a moment before carefully setting his mug back on the table.

"It's nothing really," he said uncomfortably.

"Well it must be something if you came to Fairy Tail looking for me instead of just texting me," Lucy said. She turned so that her body was angled to actually face her twin, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "What's up, Pikachu?"

"God, this is embarrassing," Laxus said. He rubbed his hands roughly through his hair and down his face before finally meeting his sister's eyes. "I want your advice about something. About a woman."

Lucy's eyebrows tried to disappear into her hairline. Her brother didn't date. He went on dates, but he didn't _date_. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen the same woman with him twice, and she wasn't actually sure that such a thing had ever happened. This was new territory. Still, she was kind of touched that he'd come to her about it.

"Okay, what are you wanting to know?"

"So, I've had a thing for this woman for a while," Laxus admitted. "Pretty sure it is, or at least was, mutual, but I never really pursued her because… well, reasons. Anyway, lately I've seen her around with someone else, and it's getting harder for me to ignore the jealousy."

"I'm still not sure where the advice part comes in," Lucy said when he paused for a while.

"I guess what I really want to know is how the hell I can get her out of my head," Laxus said. Lucy laughed.

"I don't know that I'm the best person to talk to about that," Lucy said through her giggles. Laxus frowned at her.

"You got over Natsu cheating on you like it was a broken nail," he said. That stopped Lucy's giggle fit. "I want to believe Bix helped with that, but I know you were already pretty much over it by the time I brought up the blind date. So how'd you do it? How'd you forget him that quickly?"

Lucy's eyes fell to her hands where she was unconsciously having a thumb war with herself. There was actually a very simple answer to that question: Erik. She couldn't tell Laxus that, though. She knew he maintained a tenuous not-quite-friendship with Erik since they both trained at the gym, but Laxus had told her how he felt about even the rumor of Erik pursuing her affections.

"I don't know," she lied. "I guess I must not have loved Natsu like I thought. It was easy to get over him because I never really thought of him. Even seeing him at events or around campus… I guess I was too angry to be heartbroken."

She was so tired of telling her brother half-truths. She glanced up to find him studying her carefully. Through intense willpower, she managed to hold his gaze without flinching.

"Sorry I can't help more, Lax," she whispered. Laxus just nodded and leaned back in his chair so only two legs were resting on the ground. "But, why can't you be with her?"

Laxus nearly lost his balance and had to grip the table to catch himself from falling over backwards. Lucy giggled, though this time she tried to stifle it with her hand. Laxus turned to glare at her, which just made her laugh more.

"But seriously, why?" She asked when she calmed down.

"There are a couple of reasons, but it's mostly because I'm not Yukino," Laxus said. "I've got an image to uphold for myself and for Sabertooth. And so does she. Besides, like I said, she's dating someone else. Somebody that she can be with in public."

Lucy nearly confessed to her brother then. She knew that feeling of wanting to be with someone, but knowing that your friends, your brothers and sisters, wouldn't approve of it. That feeling of not wanting to hide, but knowing that you would have to, and also knowing that the other person didn't deserve that. The words to tell him about Erik were on the tip of her tongue when Bickslow strolled back into the kitchen. Lucy swallowed the confession, but it felt like it lodged in her throat where it tried to choke her.

"Ready?" Bickslow asked. He held out a hand, and Lucy hopped off of the table to take it. She glanced back at Laxus. He'd been slightly bowed before like he was trying to curl in on himself, but when Bickslow reappeared, he'd resumed his upright posture: the strong and sure leader of Sabertooth. Her heart ached for him, and Lucy wondered, not for the first time, if Greek life was really worth this longing.

"See you later, Pikachu," Lucy said. He just nodded, and she let Bickslow lead her outside to his jeep.

COLU*COLU*COLU

Lucy felt Erik's eye on her frequently during the next class with Capricorn. She had been correct about having to help Capricorn carry the conversation, though at least the other returning students also helped. A couple of the other new people were beginning to come out of their shells, but it was taking a while. Erik still sat outside of the main group away from the table. She found her gaze wandering to him throughout the class period before she quickly darted her focus back to the conversation.

It had been three days since the fiasco with Yukino, and Lucy's head was still a mess. She had a date with Bickslow coming up for the weekend, and for the first time since the initial date, she wasn't looking forward to it. Breakfast with him had been awkward enough as she struggled and mostly failed to maintain their usual banter. She liked the blue-haired alum. He was funny, thoughtful, and infinitely fuckable, but she knew that her crush had dissipated to an easy friendship while his crush on her just seemed to be growing.

"Alright, I think we're out of time, so read over the last of the pieces for your peer reviews so you can talk about them intelligently at the next class," Capricorn said. "I also recommend starting on the Wilde book. It's not long, but if you're really studying it as you should, it may take a bit. See you next week."

Lucy focused on gathering her things so she wouldn't look at Erik. She was heading for the door when a hand on her arm stopped her.

"I'd like to thank you, Miss Frost," he murmured in her ear. Lucy shivered slightly as she turned to face him.

"For what?"

"Macbeth. I know you actually did it for Yukino, but still, thank you." He removed his hand from her arm, and she missed the slight contact. "Coffee?"

Lucy nodded and led the way from the room to their usual spot at the library café. They settled into their seats with drinks in hand and sat in silence for a while. Lucy wished there was a way to restore that easy camaraderie they'd had in the beginning.

"So what'd you tell them to get the sisters in line?" Erik finally asked.

"You're not going to like it," Lucy said with a snort. "I had to lie my ass off and say it was probably just a phase and that she'll probably dump him soon anyway."

"You're right, I don't like it," Erik said with a small frown. "Still, I get it. At least they don't have to hide now."

Lucy nodded. She sipped at her chai and tried to think of something to change the subject. Luckily, Erik saved her by bringing up the next book for the class they'd just left. They spent the next half hour talking about Oscar Wilde until he had to head to the gym. Lucy walked with him through campus. They kept a distance between them, but her hormones were going crazy even being this close to him. They passed through the dorms by the pond. As they walked between a couple of buildings, Erik suddenly grabbed her arm and swung her up against the building.

Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up into his dark blue eye. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she unconsciously put her hands on his hips to draw him closer. He exhaled sharply, and then his lips were on hers. Lucy fell into the sensation of being pressed against him again. God she'd missed this. Her hands slid up to grip his back as her tongue slid against his. It wasn't until her lungs were screaming for air that she finally pulled back. Her breath came in short pants as she met his gaze again.

Erik stepped back suddenly and raked a hand through his hair.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he said. He turned away from her slightly. "I don't think I can be just friends with you, Lucy."

He started to walk away, but Lucy reached out and pulled him back to her.

"I can't be just friends with you, either," she whispered. She reached up to wrap her fingers in his hair, and he didn't resist as she pulled his face back down to hers. "I can't get you out of my head."

Erik wanted to just sink into the emotions she was pulling from him with her body and her words. But he couldn't quite do it. His lips were centimeters from hers, but there was one very important thing that held him back.

"What about your blue-haired boyfriend?" He asked. Lucy drew away enough to look him in the eye.

"Bickslow isn't my boyfriend," she said. "That's what everyone expects, and to be honest, that's what they want. But I don't feel that way about him. At one point, I probably could have, but that was before—"

She cut herself off as movement caught her eye off to the right.

"Shit shit shit," she muttered. She grabbed Erik's hand and tugged him away from the dorms. "We need to move."

Erik glanced back as she pulled him away. He caught a glimpse of pink hair by the pond, and he scowled. After a short distance, he used her grip on him to jerk her to a stop with him.

"Still hiding then?" He asked coldly. Lucy pursed her lips and ducked her head so he couldn't see her eyes. Erik sighed before pulling her into a loose hug. "Fine. Fine. If we have to hide, so be it. I'd rather be your secret lover than not have you in my life at all. But," he lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Ditch the former Saber, 'kay?"


	10. Day 4, Part 2

**Day 4: Color**

 **Part 2**

 **"Colors" Halsey**

 **(February)**

* * *

"And fighting in the blue corner tonight: Erik 'Cobra' Cobranus!"

Erik stepped through the arch with one fist in the air as his entrance music played. There weren't many cheers for him; it was his first fight back after nearly three years hiatus, and he was coming back with one eye. A few fans remembered him, and they tried to shout loud enough to make up for the rest of the crowd who had actually come to see his opponent.

"Cobra is returning to the cage for the first time in three years with 6 victories and no defeats under his belt."

Erik tuned out the announcer. He stared across the mat at his opponent. Some 22-year-old kid from Brooklyn; this was only his second pro match, though he had won the first one. Cobra unconsciously scowled, and he thought he saw the kid flinch. He stepped forward to meet his opponent in the middle as the ref gave them final instructions and they touched gloves.

The crowd disappeared. His trainer disappeared. It was just him and the kid in the cage, with the ref a sort of buzzing presence beyond the sphere of his concern.

* * *

Lucy tensed in her seat next to Laxus as Erik entered the cage. Her brother glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow, but she ignored his questioning gaze. She was beginning to think that coming was a bad idea. Gajeel had fought in the previous bout, so it wasn't like she was _really_ there to see Erik fight. Still, she'd been watching her unofficial brother fight for years; she was used to seeing him come out of the cage bruised if not bloody. Seeing her secret lover in the same state was something else entirely. Especially when she was hoping to bump him up from secret lover to secret boyfriend.

She leaned forward in her seat as the first round began. Erik's opponent tried to take him to the mat, but he wasn't having any of that. Erik quickly regained his feet and started striking at the kid, who was obviously overwhelmed by the older man's speed. Lucy unconsciously bit her lip as the kid went in for another takedown and actually managed to get Erik on the floor this time.

Somewhere in the struggle for dominance, a tiny black bit of plastic popped onto the floor. The kid had lost his mouthpiece; the ref picked it up and looked for an opening to pop it back in for him, but then the ref froze for a second as Cobra—Erik had clearly left the building—started whaling on his opponent. Lucy leaned forward farther with her eyes wide as the ref began desperately trying to separate the two.

"Erik!" Someone yelled from the stands, though it was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. Lucy thought it might have been her, but there was a roar of white noise in her ears, so she couldn't be sure. Cobra paused, and then he allowed the ref to pull him away while his opponent's corner man and the cut man rushed into the cage.

"What the fuck just happened?" Laxus muttered.

After a short conference among the officials, Erik was declared the winner. His barely conscious opponent was helped from the cage while someone followed to clean up the blood as it fell from his destroyed face.

"That kid was a fucking moron," Gajeel said as he came up on Lucy's free side.

"What happened out there?" Laxus asked.

"Idiot popped off about Zeref when his mouthpiece fell out. He clearly didn't know anything about the situation; just knew enough to get himself seriously injured."

Lucy's eyes followed Erik as he left the cage. His shoulders drooped slightly, and she was sure that it wasn't due to fatigue from the short-lived fight. She wanted to go to him, but with her brother sitting right next to her that was impossible. Laxus was already eyeing her speculatively as it was. She'd never hated the hiding more than in that moment.

"Cobra will be fine," Laxus said. "Let's get something to eat."

Lucy nodded and let her brother lead her out of the arena as the fighters for the next round made their entrances. Gajeel trailed behind them. It wasn't really fair to call it an arena. It was really just a banquet hall in a casino where a cage had been constructed with dining tables strewn throughout the room. Lucy followed her brother's hulking form blindly as he wound through the tables to reach the door. The casino had an adjoining restaurant with a buffet, so they headed for that.

She could still hear the slight sounds of the slot machines through the glass doors of the restaurant. She wasn't even sure what she'd put on her plate, and she just pushed it around as her thoughts strayed again and again to the one-eyed fighter.

"You okay there, Twinkie?" Laxus asked. Lucy nodded sharply and stuffed a forkful of something green into her mouth. She nearly gagged as the taste of whatever the hell it was hit her, and she spit it into a napkin. She took a sip of water to rinse out her mouth.

"I'm fine. Just… There was a lot of blood," Lucy said. She felt queasy thinking about it; not due to the blood itself really, but Laxus didn't have to know that.

"Cobra can be vicious," Gajeel mumbled.

"Stop talking with your mouth full, man," Laxus groaned. "Eat or talk. It's not hard."

Gajeel flipped him off before returning his attention to his nearly empty plate.

"Anyway," Laxus said as he turned his attention back to his twin. "Enough about Cobra. I'd rather not think about him. How are things with Bix?"

Lucy internally groaned. That particular topic wasn't any more appealing than the previous one, but she guessed her brother would find out sooner or later.

"I actually told him I couldn't see him anymore," Lucy muttered. She stabbed at something that looked like meat, but it might have been a mushroom. The sauce made it hard to tell. Lucy wasn't sure she would have had any appetite for this meal even if she weren't stressing over Erik.

"Why?" Laxus asked harshly. Lucy flinched, and he gentled his tone. "I mean, what brought that about?"

"I felt like I was leading him on, Lax," Lucy said. "I like him a lot, but only as a friend. He's a great guy, but… I just really don't think I'm ready for dating. I told him I'd still love to hang out, but I know he's disappointed."

"Yeah, he really had a thing for you," Laxus agreed. They finished eating in silence.

* * *

Meanwhile in the changing room, Erik was at war with himself. Blood roared in his ears as he slowly unwound the sweat-stained tape from his hands. He was distantly aware that Makarov was trying to talk to him, but he couldn't hear anything beyond the roar of his own pulse as his heart rate refused to slow. Adrenaline still coursed through his body, and it was all he could do to methodically remove the tape instead of ripping it from his hands. He took deep breaths and tried to concentrate on the slow movement of the tape as he unwound it. He finally ran out of tape.

"Sit down, boy," Makarov said. Erik finally glanced at his trainer before looking back at his hands. They were shaking. He dropped onto the bench behind him, and he realized that he was utterly exhausted.

"I wasn't ready," Erik muttered.

"You were ready; that kid was a fool," Makarov replied. He hopped up on the bench next to Erik. "I don't know if someone put him up to it, or if he knew just enough to be a danger to himself. Either way, it's not your fault."

"I could've killed him."

"But you didn't. You pulled yourself back."

 _Erik!_ He heard the voice cry out to him through the rage, through the crowd hungry for blood and violence. He shouldn't have been able to hear her like that. He might have just imagined it after all. Erik let his head fall into his hands. His palm pressed against the mound of scars over his empty eye socket as his fingers gripped his forehead.

"You'll get over this, my boy. We'll start training again after a day of rest."

"No," Erik said. He dropped his arms to his knees and fixed his eye on Makarov. "I won't risk it. I'm done. The next idiot might not be as lucky as this kid was."

Makarov held his student's gaze for a moment before pursing his lips thoughtfully.

"Take a week, then," Makarov said. "Sort yourself out. If at the end of a week you still believe you shouldn't go back to the cage, alright. Either way, I hope you will return to the gym. Even if you never set foot in the cage again, you still have that other dream."

Erik turned to stare at the floor, but he gave a short nod. His mind was already made up, but he knew Makarov wouldn't accept his answer now. And the old man was right; he did have that other dream.

Makarov left Erik to finish getting cleaned up and dressed alone. He went to the sink and slowly rinsed the blood off his forearms and face. None of the blood was his. Erik felt numb. He kept hearing the kid mention Zeref, but then he would hear that other voice calling his name. Lucy. Whether he'd really heard her or just imagined her voice; she was the one that pulled him back. The ref had been struggling to get him off, but when he heard his name from her lips… The sound tore at his insides. The pain and heartbreak in the single word shredded him.

He splashed water on his face and rubbed at a stubborn spot of dried blood on his cheek just below his scars. He remembered the feel of her fingertips and her lips ghosting over his face the night he told her how he got those scars. He'd felt so peaceful despite the ever-present undercurrent of rage that flowed through his body ever since the incident. She'd soothed the beast, but she hadn't tamed it.

"You have to let her go before you hurt her," he told his reflection. He'd just gotten her back, but he couldn't keep her. She'd calmed the rage in him before, but what if she couldn't the next time? What if someone else mentioned Zeref's name with the cruel intentions of the kid in the cage and she got in the way? He gripped the edge of the sink until his sore knuckles turned white.

"Let her go."

COLU*COLU*COLU

A week after the fight, Lucy stood nervously at the backdoor of Crime Sorciere waiting for someone to answer the door. The wind was cold even through her puffy winter coat, and the sun had dipped too far below the trees to offer any warmth. She waited several minutes before knocking again a bit impatiently as she shivered and tugged her hood tighter around her ears. She raised her hand to knock a third time when the door swung open. She nearly hit Jellal in the face with her mitten-covered hand before pulling her wrist back and dropping her hand to her side.

"Is he here?" She asked. Jellal furrowed his brow and glanced over his shoulder before giving her a sharp nod.

"Well, can I see him?" Lucy asked. She crossed her arms under her chest and fought the urge to start tapping her foot. Erik had been avoiding her all week. He wouldn't answer her texts, and he practically sprinted from their classroom the day before so she couldn't talk to him. Jellal glanced over his shoulder again before stepping out on the porch and closing the door behind him.

"Now probably isn't a good time, Lucy," he said. "Erik has been… not himself."

"Which is why I need to talk to him!" Lucy exclaimed. "I know what he's doing, and he needs to pull his head out of his ass."

Jellal's face contorted in an odd expression for a moment, and Lucy realized he was trying not to laugh. She scowled at him. Her obvious anger seemed to help him get his mirth under control.

"I know you just want to help, but given that you and Erik haven't spoken in months, I'm not sure you're the one to help him," Jellal said.

"Haven't spoken in months?" Lucy's face scrunched up as she tried to make sense of the statement. Jellal raised an eyebrow at her confusion. "He didn't tell you we're… complicated… again?"

He shook his head, and Lucy groaned.

"Stubborn ass," she muttered. "Well we are. Complicated. I don't know, but I need to see him. I know he's upset about his fight, but that doesn't mean he has to start avoiding me again. I just want to help."

Jellal rubbed his cheek as he thought about this new information. Lucy fought the urge to start shaking him until he let her pass. Decking him sounded like a fine idea, too.

"I don't think right now is a good idea," he finally said. "Come back in about an hour. Erik will be out at that point. We'll talk more then."

Without waiting for her reply, Jellal turned and walked back into the house. He closed the door firmly behind him. Lucy could only stare at the closed door for a moment with her mouth hanging open. She finally regained her composure and stormed back to Fairy Tail with murder in her eyes. She was just passing behind another of the houses when she heard someone calling her name in a stage whisper. Lucy paused; she turned to find Ultear hurrying towards her from the backyard of Grimoire Heart.

"Lucy, thank you for waiting. I… I've wanted to speak with you for some time, but I wasn't sure how to go about it," Ultear said. She twisted a kitchen towel between her hands as she spoke.

"What do you need, Ultear?"

"Well, it's Erza. You're going to think that I'm a terrible friend, but I only recently found out about her break up with Jellal."

Lucy's mouth dropped open for the second time in less than five minutes as a dozen thoughts ran through her head. The loudest and most easily expressed was: "What?"

Ultear hung her head as she explained that Erza had been avoiding her for months, but she hadn't thought much of it. They were both so busy in their final year that it hadn't seemed off until winter break.

"And when I finally did make a real effort to contact her, she just wouldn't speak to me," Ultear finished. "I thought about just marching over to Fairy Tail to confront her about it, but… well, considering the uproar over Yukino and Macbeth…"

"I get it," Lucy snapped. Ultear flinched, and Lucy regretted losing her temper. She tried to gentle her tone as she asked, "So you want me to talk to Erza?"

"Please! Or at least, can you tell me why she's angry at me? I know she must be upset over the break up, but I'm not sure what that has to do with me."

Lucy mentally groaned. Why was she the one taking care of everyone's secret relationships and friendships? Wasn't dealing with her own enough?

"They broke up at the masquerade, and as soon as it happened, Jellal went to flirt with you. Then, you didn't talk to her for two months. She thinks Jellal left her for you."

Ultear's hand flew to cover her mouth, and she looked like she might be sick. Lucy took an unconscious step back in case the woman really did throw up in her direction. Ultear started babbling incoherently as tears formed in her eyes, and Lucy quickly moved forward to hug her.

"Hey, hey, it's just a misunderstanding. I told her when it happened that it wasn't possible. You obviously like Erik more than Jellal anyway, and there's no way you would do that to her. She's just upset. I'll talk to her, I promise."

"Thank you, Lucy," Ultear whispered. She hiccupped a few times and crushed Lucy to her before drawing back to look at her. "But what do you mean about Erik? Don't tell me my flirting gave you the wrong idea, too. I know La—. I mean, I know it might look that way to others, but we're just friends. He's all yours."

There were too many potential questions lurking in Ultear's brief speech for Lucy to deal with in that moment, so she just ignored all of it in favor of finding Erza immediately. She shooed Ultear back to her house and continued to Fairy Tail where she hoped to find the redhead. They had a mixer planned with Sabertooth the next day, so the house was buzzing with girls running between rooms talking about outfits and boys. Lucy dodged a group in the kitchen with a tight smile and wave before barreling up the stairs to the president's room. Erza lounged on her bed poring over a textbook while Mira went through her closet casting clothes into two piles behind her.

"Hey Erza, want to run into town on some errands with me?" Lucy asked. She tried to convey with her eyes that Erza really needed to say yes to this.

"I'm trying to study, Lucy. Midterms aren't that far away, you know," Erza said without looking up. Lucy dropped to her knees by the president's bed and grabbed the hand closest to her.

"I could really use your help with a particular errand," Lucy muttered. Erza finally glanced up, and Lucy raised her eyebrows high and widened her eyes.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mira asked with concern when she saw the blonde's expression.

"Oh yeah, I'm swell," Lucy said. She laughed nervously and tugged on Erza's hand as she stood. "Erza's just running into town with me. See you later!"

She barely gave Erza time to put on her shoes and coat before dragging her down the stairs and out the door. Lucy didn't slow down until they were on the sidewalk outside and she was sure that Erza wasn't going to try to escape.

"I just talked to Ultear," Lucy said. She had to reach out and grab Erza's arm again as the redhead tried to make a beeline back for the house. "Stop being a baby!"

"Lucy, I don't care what she had to say. I don't believe a word of it."

"Yeah? Well, I also spoke to Jellal within the last half hour. He looks like shit, by the way. So does Ultear for that matter." Lucy maintained her grip on Erza's arm as she continued walking down the sidewalk. Lucy paused for a moment to glance around the empty street before dragging Erza around the side of the nearest Greek house, which happened to be Grimoire Heart. Erza tried to plant her feet, but Lucy proved stronger in this instance. Lucy stopped by the backyard fence where she had left Ultear a little while before.

"Now, listen to me," Lucy said sternly. She turned Erza to face her and put a hand on each of her shoulders. "Jellal did not cheat on you with Ultear. She didn't even know you two broke up until last month. You will go in there, and you will talk to her like a grown ass woman. Then, you will come with me to Crime Sorciere, and you will talk to Jellal like a grown ass woman. Got me?"

"Lucy, this is not necessary—"

"Ah!" Lucy silenced her protests by placing a finger over Erza's lips. She narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "I said, got me?"

Erza nodded slowly. Lucy released her shoulders. Erza straightened her back as she went through the gate to the back door. Lucy hung back awkwardly in the tree line for what felt like an excruciatingly long time before she heard a muffled shriek from inside the house. She couldn't tell who made the sound or what emotion it was intended to convey, and she wondered if she should run in there to make sure Erza hadn't completely ignored her and decided to kill Ultear anyway. A few moments later, her fears were negated as the two presidents came out with their arms wrapped around each other's waists to meet Lucy by the gate.

"Better, I take it?" Lucy said with a smile.

"We cleared everything up," Erza agreed.

"Now, go fix things with Jellal," Ultear said.

She released her grip on Erza and gave her a push towards the gate. Erza nodded before grabbing Lucy's hand and running towards the frat at the end of the street. Freed answered the door. He just stared at the two women in shock for a moment before smiling widely and ushering them inside.

"Jellal is upstairs," Freed said. Lucy gave Erza's hand a squeeze before releasing it. Erza gave her a terrified look, and Lucy silently shooed her towards the stairs. She smiled softly as her sister slowly disappeared to try to get her boyfriend back.

"It seems you are the peacemaker of late," Freed said when she turned back to him.

"Not by choice," Lucy replied. "I'm glad I can help the people I care about, though."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Ah, where are my manners?" Freed said. He waved her to the couch. "Sit, please. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks, I'm good. Where's everyone else?" Lucy asked as she sat down.

"An event at the comic store. I was actually about to join them. Would you like to come?"

They both glanced up at the ceiling as a loud thump sounded overhead. Lucy thought it sounded like a body hitting the floor. Did somebody faint?

"Oh Jellal!" was the next thing they heard. Freed turned bright red, and Lucy leapt up from the couch.

"Yup, comic store. Right now. Sounds awesome," Lucy said. Freed grabbed his coat from a rack by the door, and they quickly exited the frat house before they could hear anything else echoing through the empty halls.

As they strolled through the busy Friday night streets, Lucy wondered if it was a good idea to be walking so visibly with Freed. Sure they were friendly at their parents' business gatherings, but that was it. Despite the cold, students and locals were out in force. Most of the snow from the previous day had melted, but there were still a few patches fetched up against lamp posts and trashcans. Everyone was tightly bundled up in coats and knitwear. The more she thought about it, the more Lucy realized it was unlikely that anyone would recognize her. Her puffy coat and three layers of thigh high stockings made her look twice her normal size, and she had a scarf wrapped around half her face. By the time she had decided she was safe, they'd made it to the store.

Freed held the door open for her, and Lucy stepped into the warmth and bright colors of the store. A large banner over the cash register proclaimed happy anniversary.

"Weird, I thought this place opened over the summer," Lucy mused aloud.

"It did," Freed said. "This is the second anniversary of Crime Sorciere, or at least, of us making the decision to form Crime Sorciere."

"So why here instead of at the house?"

"Because this is where the magic moment occurred," Macbeth said. He threw an arm around Lucy's shoulders and pulled her further inside. "It was an unused building owned by my dad at the time. We used to hang out here until we got the house and I opened this place."

"Wait, wait, wait," Lucy said. "I thought you just worked here. You own it?"

"Well, co-own with my father. He put up the starting capital, but I've nearly paid all of that back." He offered to take Lucy's coat as Yukino appeared from the door behind the register. The silver-haired woman squealed and launched herself at her Big Sister.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Yukino said. "Isn't this great?"

"I don't think she can breathe," Macbeth said as he gently pried Yukino's death grip hug from Lucy's neck. Yukino transferred her grip to him instead, and he kissed her lightly on the forehead. Lucy smiled at them, though she was pretty sure from the scent of Yukino when she attacked that the younger woman was completely sloshed. She'd have to reprimand Macbeth about that later. Lucy surveyed the room as she searched for a particular head of maroon hair.

"He's in the back," Macebth said. Lucy's eyes shifted to him, and he gestured with his head towards the door Yukino had emerged from. "We wouldn't let him miss the party, but he doesn't really like being around people lately."

"I just took him some food, but I said I'd come back with a drink," Yukino said from where she'd nuzzled against Macbeth's neck. She gestured lazily across the room. "Cocktail stuff is over there."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow at Macbeth. He had to have told Yukino about Lucy's relationship with Erik, because Lucy knew that she had never gotten around to telling her Little about it. He just grinned at her before whisking his inebriated girlfriend away. Lucy rolled her eyes and made her way to the table Yukino had pointed out. A small smile tugged at her lips as she surveyed the drink options. After a few moments of mixing, she had two whisky sours in hand and headed for the door at the back.

Erik had his back to the door as he stared out the window. There wasn't much of a view as it just faced a dark alleyway with a bit of moonlight filtering down to highlight bits of cobblestone and trash. She could make out a brick wall and dumpster through the dusty panes. Lucy closed the door with her foot, so it closed with a bit more force than she intended.

"Thanks, Yuki. Just set it on the desk, please," Erik said without turning around.

"Yuki's a little busy snuggling with her boyfriend at the moment," Lucy said. Erik stiffened in his seat, but his posture relaxed again quickly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked the window. Lucy slowly walked around the desk to stand beside him with the red plastic cup held out towards him.

"I brought you a drink," she murmured. Erik glanced from the cup to her face quickly before grabbing the cup with a grunt of thanks. Lucy set down her own drink before hopping up to sit on the desk. She swung her feet a bit as she stared at the window.

"It's kind of gloomy sitting in the dark," Lucy said. She reached over to turn on the old-fashioned oblong lamp on the desk. The desk lamp cast enough light on the window to throw their reflections back at them. Erik glared at her through the reflection.

"Go home, Emma," he said.

"Not until you tell me why you're avoiding me, Gambit," Lucy said as she sipped at her drink. She grimaced as she realized there was just a tad too much lemon juice in it. She looked back at their reflections to see him still staring at her, but the glare had been replaced with something she couldn't quite read through the dusty pseudo-mirror. Lucy set her drink back on the desk and stepped down from her perch. She reached over and plucked Erik's cup from his loose grip and set it aside as well before straddling his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm not a mind reader like the real Emma Frost, Gambit," she whispered. "Tell me what's wrong."

Erik groaned as his hands came up to rest on her hips without his consent. He had to force his gaze away from her sweater stretching tightly across her chest so he could look her in the eye. With her this close to him, he was having trouble remembering why he'd been avoiding her in the first place. She removed one of her hands from his neck to caress his cheek. He leaned into the touch, and as her fingertips grazed the edge of his scars, he remembered. Erik drew in a shaky breath and grasped her hand to pull it away from his face.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered. Lucy tilted her head to the side as she mulled over the statement. Hurt her how? Was he seeing someone else? Was he worried he'd break her heart down the road?

Erik sighed when he realized he was going to have to explain further. His thumb rubbed circles on the back of her hand as he tried to find the words.

"Last weekend in the cage, I nearly killed that kid because he said the wrong thing at the wrong time."

"That wasn't your fault, Erik," Lucy interrupted. Erik brought their interlocked hands up to press against her mouth.

"Just, chill for a sec, 'kay?" He said. She nodded. "His fault, my fault. Not important. The point is, it showed me that I'm still vulnerable to certain memories. What if I wasn't locked in the cage with just him and the ref? What if I was on a street with a bunch of people? What if I was somewhere with you?"

He saw the comprehension dawn in her eyes, and he pressed their hands over her lips again before she could speak.

"I know what you're going to say, Emma. But you're wrong. I can't guarantee that I won't accidentally hurt you in my rage. You or anyone else. I told Makarov I'm dropping out again. I'm done fighting for good. I'm going to focus on coaching, though I'm not even entirely sure that's a good idea, either."

Lucy used their entwined fingers to pull his hand away from her mouth roughly.

"But Erik, you love fighting."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Don't give me that look," she said. "I could see it. I see it when I watch you spar, and I saw it that night before things went wrong. You like being in the cage. I can't pretend to understand it, but I see it. You can't give that up."

She wrapped the fingers of the hand at the back of his neck into his hair to hold his head in place as she leaned into him.

"As for hurting me… You should know that you hurt me this week by avoiding me and making me worry about you. But I want you to know that I trust you; I know you'll never lay a hand on me. Besides, I can take care of myself, Gambit."

She didn't wait for his reply before she covered his lips with hers. She tightened her grip on his hair slightly as she squeezed the hand that was still locked with hers. Maybe using his desire for her to drive home the point that he couldn't get rid of her was a little underhanded, but she had missed him too much to care. She didn't know how she'd made it three months without him before when the past week had left her exhausted and unfocused.

Erik's free hand crept to her lower back, and he pulled her more tightly against him. He knew what she was doing, but he didn't care. Avoiding her had been a bad idea. He needed her. He'd been even more surly than usual all week, and he'd gone without his usual outlet of wearing himself out at the gym. He wouldn't doubt that the whole frat had been in on some scheme to get Lucy to the store for this very purpose. If so, he'd have to remember to thank them.

They finally broke apart for air, but Lucy's smile nearly took his breath away as quickly as he regained it.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. He stroked a finger down her cheek as he tried to store away in his memory the image of her in that moment.

"Forgiven," she said. She nipped at his finger before adding, "But don't do that to me again. Talk to me. Don't shut me out."

"I promise, Emma," he said. He pulled her face down to capture her lips again. Neither of them noticed the figure in the alley beyond the dusty window panes who slowly clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

COLU*COLU*COLU

The Sabers were lucky it had snowed again the night before, otherwise their winter-themed mixer might have been a bust. As it was, Lucy dodged a shoddily crafted snowball as she ducked behind the wooden barriers erected for the snowball fight. She scooped up a handful of the too powdery snow and tried to bend it to her will. Movies made this look so easy, but snow in the southern Midwest did not like being used as projectiles apparently. She watched Gray pop over the barrier briefly to lob a perfectly round ball at the other team, and she scowled at it as it connected with Elfman's head without breaking apart before contact.

"How the hell do you do that?" She grumbled when Gray rejoined her kneeling behind the wall. He just shrugged and grinned at her as he started forming another one.

"Yo! Bonfire's up and going if anyone wants s'mores," Laxus yelled from the side of the house. Lucy instantly ditched her poor attempts at snowballs and ran in a crouch until she was safely around the side of the house by the bonfire. Laxus smirked at her as he dusted some snow off her shoulder.

"Looks like you got your ass handed to you, Twinkie," he said. Lucy stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shut up and point me to the marshmallows."

Lucy slowly twirled the unbent wire hanger over the fire as she tried to get the two marshmallows on the end a nice golden brown. Her tongue poked out of her mouth slightly as she concentrated. The last four times she'd ended up with blackened husks that she had to hand off to Cana, who loved the extra crispy marshmallows but hated actually toasting them herself. Cana was sitting back in the snow angel indentation she had made as she waited for Lucy to screw it up again.

"Luce, can we talk?"

Lucy nearly dropped the hanger when Natsu murmured in her ear. How the hell did he get that close to her without a) her noticing or b) somebody stopping him? Despite being split for six months now, the brothers and sisters were usually hyper vigilant about not letting Natsu anywhere near Lucy. She'd made it clear that she wasn't interested in any kind of interaction with him, and after the first twenty rebuffs, he'd stopped trying to get close to her. She hadn't thought about him in a while, but his sudden proximity made her a little nervous. The expression on his face when she glanced up at him made her even more fidgety; he was a complete blank. Natsu was never that emotionless; he wore his feelings for the world to see, but right now, he wasn't giving anything away.

"You're burning them," Natsu said. He reached over and plucked the hanger from her hands as he brought the marshmallows to his face to blow out the small flames that had sprung up on one edge.

"Well, there's two more for Cana," Lucy said with a sigh. She glanced around for her roommate and realized why Cana hadn't come to her aid at the first hint of salmon hair in the vicinity. She was too busy giggling at Sting crouched beside her as he played with a lock of her hair. Lucy shook her head in disgust and turned back to her ex. "What do you want, Natsu?"

"Just to talk." Natsu pulled one of the marshmallows off and popped it in his mouth. He offered her the other one, but Lucy wrinkled her nose at the blackened edge of it, so he ate that one, too.

"About anything in particular or just wanting to shoot the shit?"

"Maybe both?" Natsu rubbed the back of his neck in a familiar gesture that tugged at her heart. "Please, just take a walk with me. Five minutes."

Lucy looked around the bonfire again. Most people had retreated into the house, though she could also still hear the sounds of battle coming from the snowball barricades around the corner. Cana was fully immersed in flirting with Sting, and no one else was paying any attention to Lucy and Natsu, either. Seeing no rescue forthcoming, Lucy turned back to him and nodded before striding to the small woods behind the house that lined an empty creek bed. Her breath fogged in the air in front of her as she stopped by the empty creek and turned to face him.

"Five minutes," she said.

"I miss you," Natsu said.

"Is that seriously what you want to talk about? Because in that case, I'm going back to the party." Lucy started to walk away, but Natsu grabbed her arm.

"Wait, please. I just… I know I screwed up, Luce, but I'm sorry. I wish I could take it back. I do. I just want you to forgive me."

Lucy sighed, but she stopped trying to pull away from him.

"I have forgiven you, Natsu. I forgave you a while ago."

He grinned at her and stepped forward as he tried to pull her into a hug, but Lucy backed away. She tried to pull his hand off her jacket.

"I said I forgive you. That doesn't mean we're friends again, and that doesn't mean I miss you," she said. Natsu froze. The grin slowly faded from his face, and Lucy flinched at the hard look he directed at her in its place.

"It's because of him, isn't it?" Natsu said. Lucy was still trying to get his hand off her arm, but he tightened his grip on her jacket so that she could feel his fingers digging through the fluffy layers.

"Bickslow has nothing to do with it," Lucy said.

"I'm not talking about Bickslow. It was obvious you weren't really interested in him. Nobody else wanted to see it, but it was obvious to me. You just dated him because Laxus wanted you to."

"Then who are you talking about?" Lucy said. She tried again to tug her arm from his grasp, but his fingers just held her more tightly. He stepped forward again, and Lucy backed up until her back hit a tree.

"Don't play dumb, Lucy. You may be blonde, but I know you've never fit the stereotype. How long have you been in his bed? Did you run straight from me to him? Were you laughing together about how you dumped me? Did you tell him why?"

"Natsu, you're hurting me," Lucy said calmly. She'd never seen this side of Natsu before. She spoke to him as you would a wounded animal because that is what he reminded her of, but she knew that wounded animals could be the most dangerous. "I don't know who you mean, but let me go. You don't want to hurt me."

"I'm talking about fucking Cobra, Lucy!" Natsu yelled. His face was inches from hers; his features were drawn tight with anger. "Don't try to deny it. I saw you with him last night at that nerd store."

Lucy's blood seemed to freeze in her veins, and it wasn't from the snow that had started falling again around them. The window at the store. It faced an alley, so she hadn't thought about it, but the light from the desk lamp must have lit them up for anyone to see. Why Natsu had been in that alley wasn't important, but if he did see them…

"What would they think, Luce? Your sisters. Your brother. Your parents. You don't know him like I do, Lucy. You don't know what he's capable of," Natsu whispered now as he pressed her against the tree with his lips by her ear.

"Get away from me," Lucy yelled. She tried to shove him away, but he still maintained his grip on one arm while the other was lodged between them.

"Aw, hush now, babe. Wouldn't want them to find out, now would you?"

"You have secrets, too, Natsu," Lucy hissed. Natsu drew back enough so that she could see her smirk.

"Sure, but you'd never tell anyone. You promised, and you never break your promises," he said. "I could promise you the same: to keep your secret. But there would be a cost."

"Fuck you!" Lucy yelled again. "Let me go, you fucking lunatic!"

She squirmed in his grasp and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at the sneer coating the face she'd once thought so handsome. She felt tears gathering in her eyes. But then, he was gone. Lucy opened her eyes to see Natsu a meter or so away facing off against Erik.

"She said let go, asshole," Erik snarled. Natsu glared at him from his fighting stance. Then, Natsu's features smoothed over and he smiled as he stood in a more relaxed posture.

"This isn't over, Cobra," Natsu said. "I'll just add it to the list of reasons to destroy you. Zeref will be out in a matter of days. I can't wait for him to take your other eye."

Natsu turned abruptly and headed back to the Sabertooth house. Erik lunged towards him, but Lucy ran forward and wrapped her arms around his waist with her face pressed into his back.

"Stop. Please. Stop. It's not worth it." She wasn't entirely sure what she was babbling as she tried to keep Erik from going to kill her ex. Part of her wanted to just let him do it.

"Okay, Emma," Erik said. "He's gone."

Lucy sobbed and sank to her knees in the snow. Flakes continued falling around them as Erik knelt and gathered her in his arms. Lucy tried to draw in deep breaths of the cold winter air as she gripped the edge of Erik's jacket. She'd never seen Natsu like that before. She knew that Zeref was at least slightly deranged, and now she wondered if it ran in the family. She distantly heard laughter from the house just out of sight, and she wondered how no one had heard her yell. When she finally had her breathing back under control, she pulled back enough to look up at Erik.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you; you're timing was nearly perfect, but why are you back here?"

Erik's murderous look faded to a slight sheepishness.

"Well… you probably aren't aware, but we've been embroiled in a prank war with Sabertooth since September. It's still ongoing."

Lucy's eyebrows rose. How the hell had she missed that? She thought everything stopped after the masquerade ball.

"It's been very hush-hush. Highly covert missions. Nothing they could pin on us or us on them. Everyone made a silent agreement not to let it get around to the faculty again. I was… scouting for the next one. Anyway, you need to get back before someone misses you. Come by the house later and explain what the hell that was about. And don't—" He broke off to kiss her fiercely before continuing. "Don't let him get you alone again, Emma."

"I won't, Gambit."

He helped her to her feet, and she leaned up to kiss him again before heading back to the party. Erik watched her walk out of sight. The urge to find and murder Dragneel still burned brightly, but he bit it back. There were other ways to take care of that particular menace.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to everybody who's following, favoriting and reviewing!**

 **Btw, random question time. I just spent the day wandering around the Texas State U campus in San Marcos (hence the sort of late-ish update) because I'm considering going there for a Master's in Technical Communication next year. Does anyone go to TSU or has gone or know someone who does and has an opinion on the school itself, the graduate school, or the program in particular? I have no idea if I want to go or not (or even if it's worth it) so any input is greatly appreciated! Send me a PM if you have any advice :)**

 **And thanks for reading!**


	11. Day 5, Part 1

**Day 5: Answers**

 **Part 1**

 **"Answers" by Steve Vai**

 **(March)**

* * *

The Halloween masquerade ball had not had the desired effect on calming the strife amongst the houses. Granted, the "strife" was really only between two houses in particular who couldn't quite keep their prank war as covert as they wanted, with an additional two adding to the chaos only incidentally. Still, the faculty at Fiore University decided that it was worth trying again during Greek Week. Normally, houses were allowed to choose their own partners for the week's events and competition. This year, they were assigned partners.

Lucy tried to cover her ears as her sisters bemoaned their fate. Everyone had been looking forward to another week of complete domination in the games with Sabertooth as their partner house. Instead, they were sure to face defeat now that they were forced to work with Crime Sorciere. Of course, while her hands were trying to muffle the sounds of screaming, crying, and general over-exaggerated complaining, she was mentally fist pumping. Yukino got to spend time with Macbeth. Erza got to spend time with Jellal. And best of all, Lucy got to spend time with Erik.

Crime Sorciere was experiencing a similar scene, but of a far more celebratory nature. Erik winced as Macbeth whooped for the fifth time since Jellal brought them the news five minutes prior. He got that his best friend was pumped to hang out with his girlfriend, but did he have to sound like a high school girl at a homecoming game?

"We have to win," Jellal said as he tried to calm everyone down. "This will be the final battle with Sabertooth. If we can defeat them in the games with their sister house as our partner…"

"We'll be top freakin' dog!" Macbeth finished for him.

"Don't get your hopes up," Erik muttered.

Rogue was the only one who acknowledged his statement. Erik had been increasingly happy with his decision to bring the metalhead around to joining the frat. Rogue fit in perfectly with the group, but he fit with Erik in particular. He had quickly become Erik's closest friend next to Macbeth, who had been rather absent since dating Yukino. Unlike Macbeth, Rogue didn't give him any shit. The kid had also taken Macbeth's place as Erik's training helper and prank instigator in the mostly covert war with Sabertooth that sparked the assigned partners rule.

"It's not going to be easy, and even if we do win, Sabertooth won't just roll over," Rogue said. "Not sure I want to be the top frat on campus, anyway."

It was a weird sentiment, but it was one that Erik shared. Sabertooth was the top frat because of the type of members they recruited: honors students, jocks, and future business leaders all in a tidy package. They partied hard, but not hard enough to be "the" party house. They got good grades, but grades didn't necessarily come before sports. Erik wasn't interested in that lifestyle. He liked his nerds and outcasts, and he didn't want them to change. He just wanted the kitties to leave them the fuck alone. Also, dating his almost-girlfriend in public would be nice.

"Alright, I think it's best if Macbeth and I make first contact," Jellal said.

"Eh, you, yes. Macbeth, no," Erik interrupted. "Sure he's openly dating Yuki, but her sisters still aren't happy about it."

"They don't give her any shit," Macbeth protested, but Erik cut him off.

"To her face. Trust me. They still fucking hate you," Erik said. He hated the way Macbeth's face fell before he ducked his head to hide his expression. Erik didn't want to pop the bubble of happiness, but he felt that he had to.

"But how do you know?" Lahar asked.

"Lucy," Erik said shortly. There was a general hum of understanding. Not everyone knew the extent of his relationship with the blonde, but everyone in the frat knew that _something_ was going on with the two VPs. Erik just hoped his brothers knew to keep that on the down low.

"Fine, then you come with me," Jellal said.

"Why me?"

"Because you train at the same gym as the Sabers. The women may not like you, but they respect you, and they don't openly hate you. At least, not anymore than the rest of us," Jellal said. Erik groaned, but he couldn't fault the logic. Granted, he would probably be a bigger pariah than Macbeth if anyone knew he was secretly dating their VP. Still, he followed Jellal down the street to Fairy Tail without further audible complaint.

COLU*COLU*COLU

All of the Greeks on campus gathered in the plaza on the first day of Greek Week. The theme was superheroes; some of the groups were more into it than others. Predictably, Crime Sorciere was the most hardcore with their costumes, though the Fairy Tail ladies had managed to get them to tone it down a bit. The guys wore a hodgepodge of capes and masks to go with the shirts the girls had ordered. Marvel for Fairy Tail. DC for Crime Sorciere. The colors and poses of the images matched, only the specific superheroes on each shirt were different. It had been Lucy's idea, and Erik had seconded the plan with gusto.

"Alright, everyone. Welcome to the 68th Annual Greek Week at Fiore U. My name is Mato, and I'll be your host for these events," the dean of the university hopped around excitedly as he introduced himself. "Today, we're going to start off with an event that utilizes all members of your houses: the scavenger hunt! Presidents, please come up to collect the lists of items. There are ten riddles to find the location of the items. Use your noodles! Only three of the items actually count for points. You'll know which they are when you find them! Five points for each of the three qualifying items your houses find within the two hour time limit and an extra five points to whichever house finds all three first!"

"I swear these games get more complicated every year," Lucy muttered.

Erza and Jellal collected stacks of the riddles and began handing them out to the house members.

"Everybody set? Go!"

"Let's split into pairs," Erza said. "Everyone pick a partner."

There was a general shuffling, and Lucy found herself glancing around as Erik carefully positioned himself near her. Erza gestured at a group of pairs and told them to look for number one, and then she did the same for each of the ten items. Erik casually hooked a finger into Lucy's jacket pocket and started tugging her away from the group.

"Okay, group two," Lucy muttered as she read over the riddles. "A pile of words away from the birds; take a quick look in the place of the books. The first: dog's mortal foe, to begin. Then: the end of begin and again. To finish and to have won: the middle of 'it is done.'"

Lucy stopped suddenly, and one shoulder of her jacket fell off as Erik's finger got stuck in the fabric. He turned back with a raised eyebrow to find her grinning.

"We need to find The Hunger Games," she said. She took off running for the library with Erik only having to jog to keep up. It sounded like gibberish to him, but he was more than a little turned on by the fact that she had figured it out so quickly. Plus her jacket was still hanging off her bare shoulder, and that little bit of skin between the jacket and her tank top was killing him. They'd been so busy organizing for Greek Week that there hadn't been any time for other adult activities in far too long for his liking.

"Out of curiosity, how do you know?" Erik asked as they hurried to the stairs leading up to the fiction section.

"Well, the first part about words and books obviously referred to the library. But for the book itself: dog's mortal foe is a cat; the last letter of begin and again is 'n'; and 'is' is the middle of 'it is done'. Ergo, Katniss, the main character of The Hunger Games."

"I thought the theme was superheroes?"

"I mean, she's kind of a superhero," Lucy said. She quickly found the only section of Young Adult books. "Now what the hell was that author's name?"

"Suzanne Collins."

"Oh, right," Lucy said. She tried to cover her surprise, but Erik caught it anyway. He just grinned at her impishly as she trailed a finger along the Cs until she found the one she wanted. She lifted the book triumphantly from the shelf and a stack of envelopes with house names printed on the sides fell to the floor from where they had been wedged between the books.

"I think we got one of the three!" Lucy exclaimed as she tore into one of the envelopes. She started jumping up and down in place and waved it around. "Yes! We did!"

Erik watched her in amusement as her chest bounced around with her happy dance. Unable to stand the sight any longer, he reached out and pulled her flush against him. His arms wrapped around her back and his lips covered hers in a needy kiss. She wound her fingers in his hair while her other hand still clutched the envelope tightly. He backed her up until she hit the bookshelf and she moaned against his mouth. His hands slid down to grasp under her thighs so he could lift her up as her legs wrapped around him.

"Jesus, get a room," a voice said behind Erik. They broke apart in shock to find Macbeth and Yukino watching them. Yukino blushed, but she couldn't hide the small grin that was a mere echo of the look of glee on Macbeth's face.

"We already found the thing," Erik said with a scowl. Lucy wiggled to be let down, though her movement made him really just want to hold her there even more.

"Cool, then we can team up to find one of the others before we head back to the plaza," Macbeth said.

"You guys figured out the second riddle, too?" Lucy asked as she finally managed to drop her feet to the floor and push away from Erik.

"We figured out the library part. Then we heard some… noises… and followed the sound," Yukino said as her face reddened again. Lucy's cheeks held an answering blush, but Erik just smirked at her until she slapped him in the chest and pointed out that he had bright pink lipstick all over his mouth. He pulled her in for another (although far more chaste) kiss before scrubbing at the lipstick and asking what the next clue was. Lucy tucked the book and the envelopes back onto the shelf before they headed out of the library.

The foursome found three more envelopes, though their houses' envelopes had already been picked up. A glance inside showed that none of the three held a gold ticket like the one Lucy and Erik had found. An hour had passed at this point, so they decided to head back to the plaza. A few of their sisters sent Lucy weird looks when she walked up with Erik, but she hoped they would chalk it up to her wanting to keep an eye on Yukino.

"We've got one of the three!" Lucy said as she approached Erza.

"Well done. That's the last one. I'll take it up to Mato."

Lucy plopped down on the grass. She reached up to pull Yukino down with her. The boys followed suit. Sorano stormed over to them with a scowl.

"What the hell, Lucy?"

"What?"

"Why are you encouraging this kind of behavior?" Sorano asked. Lucy could tell that Sorano wanted to yell, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Sorano," Lucy said with perhaps too much sweetness. "I'm just hanging out with our teammates. Greek Week is about fostering friendship among the houses. So that's what I'm doing."

Sorano bent down with her face just a few inches from Lucy.

"Are you sure, Heartfilia? Because you seem pretty cozy with the criminals. Something you want to share with the group?"

Lucy maintained eye contact with Sorano. She wanted to glance at Erik for his reaction, but she couldn't afford that luxury. Lucy smiled at her current least favorite sister and leaned in even closer.

"I know how to play the game, Sorano," Lucy whispered. "Mato is watching."

Sorano yanked back and glanced around. As it happened, Mato was looking in their direction. Sorano plastered a fake smile on her face and strolled back to a cluster of the sisters who were avoiding the Crime Sorciere members as much as possible. Lucy turned when she heard Erik chuckle beside her.

"Imagine if she had walked in on us instead of Yukino," Erik murmured.

"Is it bad that I half-wish she had?" Lucy said. Erik's eye widened slightly, and she winked at him. She leaned back on her hands and looked up at the few clouds drifting across the sky. "At least for this week, I want to be close to you in front of people. For this one week, they can't say anything."

Erik regarded her silently. A few months ago the statement would have pissed him off, but after seeing Macbeth and Yukino, he figured Lucy might be right to keep their relationship hidden. Yukino dealt with it well, but her sisters were bitches sometimes. The worst part was the way Yukino's actual sister reacted. He and Lucy had to hide, but at least they weren't being hounded all the time. Now that he had stopped taking the secrecy personally, Erik thought it actually added a bit of fun to their time together.

A loud buzzer sounded.

"That's it, folks! Let's tally up the points. In last place with just five points, Raven Tail and Lamia Scale. In third place with ten points, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel. In second place with fifteen points, Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail. And in first place with twenty points, Sabertooth and Grimoire Heart!"

"Guess we should've just brought the one from the library straight back after all," Lucy grumbled.

"Don't sweat it, Emma. They're only up by five. It's still anybody's week."

* * *

The next day started out the same with everyone gathered in the plaza, though this time, there were four podiums on the previously empty stage. Mato hopped around in front of the podiums as he announced the Jeopardy-style game to be played by the E-Boards of each house, starting with the presidents. Erza and Jellal took the far podium while Ultear and Laxus took the one next to them. Kagura of Mermaid Heel stood with Hibiki of Blue Pegasus, and Sherry of Lamia Scale reluctantly stood next to Bacchus of Raven Tail.

"Three categories: Pop culture, history, and our theme, superheroes. Each category has five questions worth one point each. Let's go!"

Lucy stood between Cana and Yukino. She cheered when Jellal and Erza swept the first few questions, but then she found her attention waning. She was vaguely aware of Erik standing behind her, but her attention was more focused on her brother. He was uncharacteristically fidgety as he stood next to Ultear. As she watched more closely, Lucy thought she saw her brother's arm brushing against his teammate from time to time. Ultear also seemed flustered, though that could have been from constantly miss-timing the buzzer as Erza and Jellal swept the first round.

"Okay, time to switch it up," Mato announced. "VPs to the stage, please!"

A hand on her back guided Lucy to the stage after the surprise announcement. Erik's hand left once she started moving on her own, and Lucy was tempted to stop again just to have him put it back. But then, they were on the stage taking Jellal and Erza's place. She smiled at Gray as he nervously stood next to Minerva who was scowling at him as she muttered that he better not screw this up.

"Since Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail swept the first round, they get to pick the first category."

"Superheroes," Erik said automatically.

"My power is charging items with kinetic energy. My trademark is playing cards."

Lucy and Erik both reached for the buzzer at the same time and slammed it down together. Erik smirked at her as she called out, "Who is Gambit?"

"Correct! Next category?"

They finished off the superhero questions and lost the next two history questions as a very frightened Gray suddenly recalled everything he'd ever learned from watching documentaries on the History channel. He practically collapsed with relief when the VPs were replaced by the secretaries after the fifth question and Gajeel took his place.

"Final tally: Fourth place, still Raven Tail and Lamia Scale with five points. In third, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel with 13 points. Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail stay in second place with 23 points. And Sabertooth and Grimoire Heart hold onto first place with 24 points. We'll see everyone tomorrow for the karaoke contest, so rest up those vocals!"

Lucy snuck away from the house as quickly as she could that evening and ducked behind the trees as she ran down the lane behind the Greek houses. Erik was waiting for her at the foot of the treehouse. She launched herself at him and pushed him against the tree. Somehow they made it up the ladder and into the treehouse before losing their clothes.

Erik played with a lock of her hair as she lay naked across his chest. They were both too tired to move even if they'd wanted to get out of the bed. The tips of her fingers trailed lazily over his chest as she listened to his heartbeat. She had almost fallen asleep when Erik finally spoke.

"What are we?"

"Hmm?" Lucy raised her head in an attempt to look at him, but she gave up and flopped back down on his chest as she snuggled closer to him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what am I to you? If you had to label me."

Lucy stilled before resuming her exploration of his chest. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and she swallowed before sitting up so she could look down at him. The violent pounding stopped for a moment as her heart stuttered at the look on his face: hope, adoration, but also wariness. Lucy reached out to gently run her fingers over his scars. His eye patch lay discarded on the floor by the bed with his boxers. He leaned into her touch for a moment before grabbing her hand and gently kissing the pads of her fingers.

"Well?" He whispered against her skin as he moved to kiss her palm. Lucy pulled her hand away.

"I can't think when you do that," she said. She was slightly embarrassed by the breathy quality of her voice, but he just had that effect on her. She put her hands in her lap and twisted her fingers together. "I… I want…"

Erik sat up slowly and rested his hands on her thighs. Lucy shuddered at the touch even through the sheets twisted around their lower halves. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Tell me what you want."

"I want you," she said simply as she finally met his eyes. "Nobody but you."

Erik's smile at her statement was worth any discomfort she felt in admitting it. He didn't smile often anyway, but this particular smile was rarer still. Pure happiness shone from the slight upturn of his lips and the minute crinkles at the edge of his eye. Lucy found an answering smile on her own lips as she studied him. He pulled her in for a quick kiss before drawing back enough to speak.

"So, secret girlfriend?"

"Sounds like a plan," she said. They both silently added, _For now._


	12. Day 5, Part 2

**Day 5: Answers**

 **Part 2**

 **"The Answer Lies Within" by Dream Theater**

 **"Don't Answer Me" by Alan Parsons Project**

 **(March)**

* * *

"Looks like Sorano is finally warming up," Cana said with a giggle.

She gestured to their sister who was deep in conversation with the finance kid from Crime Sorciere. Conversation might have been a liberal term as Sorano was barely stopping for breath while Eve nodded at her with stars in his eyes. Lucy giggled, too. Sorano would probably have a stroke if she realized the kid was barely 18. She surveyed her sisters and their partners from Crime Sorciere huddled by the stage in the plaza. The air had turned nippy again, though the sky was clear. Most of the girls had finally given up pouting and actually started talking to the frat boys. Lucy was glad to see them actually getting along. Maybe that "for now" she'd thought about the night before wouldn't last long after all, though she still wasn't willing to hold her breath.

A table with three judges sat at one end of the stage. Mato had just been using his impressive theater vocals to make the announcements the previous two days, but now the organizers had set up a row of speakers. Lucy smiled and waved as she caught the eye of the Cait Shelter president, Carla, who tilted her head slightly in response. She was surprised that she hadn't seen much of the final sorority on campus the previous two days of events considering that Cait Shelter was organizing everything. Generally a coalition of houses formed to make Greek Week happen, but with nine houses on campus, Cait Shelter had volunteered to forfeit their spot in the games in order to have full control of them instead.

Carla could be a bit overbearing, so Lucy wasn't entirely surprised that the petite president wanted to call the shots. Lucy caught a blur of blue hair darting through the crowd. She reached out to snag the blue-haired woman's arm as she passed.

"Eep!" Wendy exclaimed as she nearly face-planted. Lucy managed to save her from falling and help her stand straight again.

"Sorry about that, Wendy," Lucy said. "You were just dashing around so much and I wanted to talk to you for a sec."

"Oh, okay," Wendy said. "But it really does have to be just a sec because Carla is going to murder me if I don't get up there to help. I overslept this morning."

"I won't keep you, but I was wondering something. This whole choosing house partners; it was Carla's idea wasn't it?"

Wendy shuffled nervously as her eyes darted back and forth between Lucy and the stage. Lucy had known Wendy since the younger girl was in high school because she was Gray's younger sister and often came to school events with him. Lucy had been a little hurt that Wendy hadn't joined Fairy Tail, but over the two years that Wendy had been in the other sorority, Lucy had begun to understand why Wendy fit there so well. It also made Lucy wonder if Yukino wouldn't have been happier in the "bossy" sorority that cared less about image and more about helping people: philanthropy really was their reason for being.

"It's okay, Wendy. You don't have to tell me; I was just curious," Lucy said with a smile. "We should get together when this is all over. I miss our movie nights with ours brothers."

Wendy nodded rapidly with a wide smile on her face before resuming her mad dash to the stage where Carla had begun tapping her foot impatiently.

"So, we've got the tiny blonde woman to thank for this arrangement?" Erik murmured from behind her.

"Looks like it," Lucy said as she turned to face him. He smiled at her and started to say something else, but then he looked behind her and frowned. He walked off without a word with his famous scowl firmly in place.

"That was weird," Lucy muttered. She looked up at a nudge on her arm to find Cana looking unusually thoughtful.

"Hey, Lu, there something you want to tell me?" Cana asked.

"About what?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Oh please, you know what I mean. But if you want me to spell it out, I will," Cana said. She kept her voice quiet in case anyone was listening, but her posture was fight-ready if Lucy didn't cooperate. "You go all gooey when he's around. And I have noticed; he's around a lot. Not just for Greek Week, either. It's like you guys live in the library café. You disappear at least one night a week, and I know you always think I'm passed out, but I've heard you come in at three or four in the morning. I knew it had to be a guy. Honestly, I was worried it might be Natsu."

"Natsu? Seriously, Cana? I'm not that stupid!" Lucy whisper-shrieked. Cana waved aside her best friend's annoyance.

"I didn't know what to think, Lu. You weren't talking to me. You used to tell me everything. I get that you wouldn't want the whole house to know, but you could have told me. I could have helped," Cana said. Her shoulders slumped, and she had her arms wrapped around her waist. Lucy bit her lip as it hit her how unfair she had been to Cana. She moved forward to pull Cana into a hug.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I should have told you, but I've just been so confused about this whole situation," Lucy whispered. "It's been pretty rocky in places."

"And I would have been there to help," Cana said, but when she pulled back she was smiling. "At least I can help now because, girl, I definitely approve. When we get home tonight before you undoubtedly sneak off to find him, you are giving me deets on that fine specimen of man."

Lucy giggled, but she nodded. Cana portrayed the image of the fancy free border-line alcoholic who's always down to clown, but Lucy knew better. Cana was a shameless tease. She never took anyone home, and she never went home with anyone. It was the thrill of the flirt that got her, not the actual sex. Lucy couldn't pretend to understand it, but she figured it had something to do with Cana's less-than stellar childhood growing up with her single mother's string of awful boyfriends. Lucy hadn't met her until high school when Cana started living with her long-lost father.

Cana gave Lucy another squeeze before ducking off to sign up to sing in the competition. She'd tried to talk Lucy into doing a Ke$ha duet with her, but Lucy already had plans for a song of her own. She knew there was no way that she would win; her voice was decent, but Mira was planning to sing. Also, Lucy had chosen a song that wasn't incredibly upbeat, though she thought it was kind of uplifting. The crowd murmured excitedly as Mato took the stage and called for the first singer, a guy from Raven Tail who started the contest off with a terrible rendition of "I'm sexy and I know it" that at least got the crowd laughing and singing along. Halfway through, four of his frat brothers hopped onstage shirtless and perfectly executed the dance from the music video.

Lucy was practically crying from her laughter by the time the next singer, a girl from Mermaid Heel, went up to sing "Barbie Girl." She started to get nervous as she waited for the next two singers to go. There had only been five or six names on the list before her.

"Give it up for Sherria of Lamia Scale! I'm not sure I've ever heard 'I Want to Know what Love is' in quite that key. Next up, Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail!"

Her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest as she stepped up onstage and took the mic from Mato. The opening bars of her Dream Theater song played, and she was seriously reconsidering the whole slow song thing after the first five people jumped around like crazy to upbeat numbers. Too late now, she thought as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes fell on Yukino just as her cue for the first lyrics came up.

 _Look around; where do you belong?  
_ _Don't be afraid; you're not the only one._

She let her eyes slide away from the smiling face of her Little as she continued searching out the faces she cared about from the sea of strangers and barely acquaintances who were slowly swaying to the music.

 _Don't let the day go by;  
_ _Don't let it end;  
_ _Don't let a day go by, in doubt;  
_ _The answer lies within._

Her gaze met her brother's next. Laxus had a small smile as he watched her. He stood in his usual crossed arm position as he towered over nearly everyone else in the crowd. Gray and Gajeel flanked him. Gajeel winked when her eyes met his, and she felt a small surge of confidence as she let the notes roll out a bit more powerfully.

 _Life is short, so learn from your mistakes;  
_ _And stand behind, the choices that you make;_

She saw Erza next. The redhead was standing next to Jellal, and Lucy thought they might be holding hands, but she couldn't tell with their jackets in the way. They only had a couple more months of hiding their relationship. Lucy wondered if Erza was still planning to propose now that they were back together.

 _Face each day, with both eyes open wide;  
_ _And try to give, don't keep it all inside;_

Lucy smiled as she briefly met eyes with Ultear. The Grimoire Heart president was only a short distance from Lucy's twin as the house partnerships had congregated together to watch the competition. Ultear gave her a small nod before her gaze darted away, though Lucy couldn't tell where Ultear was looking.

 _Don't let the day go by, don't let it end;  
_ _Don't let a day go by, in doubt;  
_ _The answer lies within;_

A few people from Raven Tail started causing a bit of a ruckus at the back as they got bored with the slow song, but Laxus quickly turned to shush them with a glare. He was beaten to it by Erik appearing behind the group and gently laying a hand on two of the guys' shoulders. His presence probably would have been enough to keep them quiet, but his scowl definitely helped, too. Laxus gave him a small nod of thanks before returning his attention to the stage.

 _You've got the future on your side;  
_ _You're gonna be fine now;  
_ _I know whatever you decide, you're gonna shine;_

Lucy locked eyes with Erik; if she were honest with herself, she had really been looking for him to begin with. She'd chosen this song with him in mind, after all. They'd been listening to Dream Theater the first night he spoke to her, and this song was everything she wanted to say. She didn't want him to have any doubts about her or himself anymore, either about their relationship or his career in the cage. It was difficult to articulate when they were alone and impossible in public, but now she could tell him in front of everyone, even if nobody else got the message.

 _Don't let the day go by;  
_ _Don't let it end;  
_ _Don't let a day go by, in doubt;  
_ _You're ready to begin;  
_ _Don't let a day go by in doubt;  
_ _The answer lies within._

Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere clapped and cheered loudly to make up for the less enthusiastic crowd, who were still clapping politely. Lucy blushed as she handed the mic back to Mato and stepped off the stage.

"That was awesome, Twinkie," Laxus said as he met her near the stage. He laid a hand on her head and looked down at her fondly.

"Thanks, Lax, but I think I put most of the crowd to sleep," Lucy said.

"Fuck 'em," Gajeel said. "You got a great set of pipes. These morons just want to jump around like idiots while you tried to give a good show."

"Tried and succeeded," Laxus added. She thanked her boys again before rejoining her team. Yukino was sandwiched between Macbeth and Sorano, so Lucy went to stand with them while the next singer from Grimoire Heart took the stage. As the purple-haired woman began singing "Don't Stop Believing," Lucy fell backward as someone tugged on her jacket. She crashed into the person, and they both fell to the ground. Lucy sat up slowly. She turned to find out who had thrown her off balance, and she glared when she found Natsu behind her on the ground. He rubbed the back of his head with a mild curse.

"What the fuck, Natsu?" Lucy said.

"Sorry, I forgot how clumsy you are," Natsu said. Lucy decided to ignore that comment.

"What do you want this time?"

Natsu sat up and crossed his legs in front of him as he fixed Lucy with an intense stare. Lucy tried to hold her glare in place, but it was difficult. She was still pissed at him for the incident at the snow party, but it was Natsu. She'd forgiven him for the other shit so long ago that it added no fuel to her anger, and if she were really honest with herself, she just felt sorry for him.

"I wanted to apologize for what I did at the snow party," Natsu said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just… so fucking jealous. And then he showed up. And just…"

Natsu fell silent as he tried to keep his hands from curling into fists. He took a deep breath before looking up at her again.

"My father is forcing me to see a psychiatrist. And... It's only been a couple of sessions, but... Anyway, I don't know what I was thinking. I know you probably won't accept my apology, but I had to make the offer," Natsu said. He started tearing apart the grass in front of him while he waited for her response.

"Well, as far as I can tell you haven't told anyone about… us…" Lucy said. She stood up and offered him a hand up. When she had helped him to his feet, she continued. "So, we're good. Just, stay away, okay?"

"I really screwed up, didn't I?" Natsu said. He looked like a broken puppy standing there in front of her, and her heart ached slightly as a few memories of their happy times filtered through. But then, the image of him with the same look the day she broke up with him rose to the forefront, and her heart hardened again.

"Yeah, you did." Lucy turned to face the stage again where the Journey song was ending and the crowd cheered.

"There's something else I screwed up," Natsu said. He stepped forward so that his chest was nearly touching her back and he could whisper in her ear. "Tell Cobra not to come to the games on Friday. It's…it's just better if he doesn't. I'm sorry."

Lucy turned to stare at her ex, and her lips nearly bumped into his. She jumped back to get away from him and ended up colliding with Yukino. They both fell heavily to the ground, and Lucy's hand caught on Sorano's jacket as they fell so she landed on top of them both. By the time they had untangled themselves, Natsu had vanished into the crowd, and Erik was there giving them an amused look while Macbeth tried his damnedest not to laugh at his girlfriend and the sister that hated him.

 _If you believe in the power of magic,  
_ _I can change your mind.  
_ _And if you need to believe in someone,  
_ _Turn and look behind._

They all looked up at the stage as Mira's voice drifted through the speakers. Several guys from Blue Pegasus and Raven Tail were trying to get closer to the stage, but the Sabertooth boys were pushing them back. It was only when another voice sang the second verse that Lucy realized Freed was standing next to Mira with a mic in his hand, and he sounded almost as mesmerizing as Fairy Tail's future star.

 _When we were living in a dream world,  
_ _Clouds got in the way.  
_ _We gave it up in a moment of madness;  
_ _We threw it all away._

They traded off perfectly, and while one sang the verse, the other vocalized in the background for emphasis. It was like they had done this hundreds of times before, though as far as Lucy knew, they'd never spoken before the partnership for the games.

"They were in choir together in high school," Erik murmured in her ear. "They were pretty tight back then." She turned wide eyes to him as Mira took the lead on the chorus with Freed harmonizing in the background.

 _Don't answer me;  
_ _Don't break the silence,  
_ _Don't let me win._

 _Don't answer me;  
_ _Stay on your island,  
_ _Don't let me in._

All thoughts of the weird encounter with Natsu fled as Lucy watched the duet. Although it was a slower song, too, no one seemed able to take their eyes from the stage. She was a little jealous, but she was too happy seeing two old friends on the stage. How many other friends had this stupid undeclared Greek war separated?

 _Run away and hide from everyone;  
_ _Can you change the things we've said and done?_

Lucy felt pretty confident that all eyes were on the stage, so she leaned back slowly until she felt Erik's chest behind her. She let out a tiny sigh of happiness as his hands landed lightly on her waist beneath her jacket. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo as he wondered how long this could last. He knew that her song was directed towards him, and he appreciated it, but Erik also knew there was something else holding him back. He'd accepted that he wouldn't willingly harm Lucy, and he'd started training again. He even had a match scheduled in a couple of weeks. But it was still there: the rage.

 _If you believe in the power of magic,  
_ _It's all a fantasy,  
_ _So if you need to believe in someone,  
_ _Just pretend it's me._

 _It ain't enough that we meet as strangers,  
_ _I can't set you free.  
_ _So will you turn your back forever on what you mean to me?_

Freed and Mira sang through the chorus for the final time and waved to the deafening crowd as Erik tried to sort through his emotions. Lucy gently stepped away once the focus was no longer solely on the stage. She strolled over to join the mob that had formed around the two singers. Erik watched her walk away and he couldn't help thinking that it would have been better if she hadn't come back to him. He couldn't leave now; his willpower only extended so far, and leaving her was no longer an option since she'd admitted that she wanted to be with him alone. But he still held the same fears from before. They were muted now, but they were still present.

He'd seen Dragneel pressed against her before Lucy caused the dog pile with her sisters, and the rage had flared up like a candle flame igniting the curtains. The only thing that kept him from attacking Dragneel right then was the need to check on Lucy first. He wanted to know what the jackass had said to her, but Erik wasn't sure that he wanted to bring it up. No doubt it would just cause the rage to spiral out again, and he was having enough trouble keeping it in check. Since saving Lucy that day in the snow, Erik's anger towards the younger Dragneel was almost as pronounced as his rage against the older brother; it reached the point where he contacted Igneel with his concerns. That call had been more than a little uncomfortable, and he'd half-expected Igneel to revoke his sponsorship. Erik felt the tension building in his shoulders as his thoughts dwelt on the Dragneel family, but then Lucy turned back and smiled in his direction. Erik forced himself to relax again.

There were only a few more contestants before the scores were tallied.

"In third place, Rachel of Mermaid Heel. Second place goes to Mira and Freed of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere. And first place goes to Dobengal of Raven Tail!"

There was some rumbling from the crowd as people tried to remember who the hell from Raven Tail could have possibly beat Mira and Freed's duet. Lucy facepalmed as she realized it was the "Sexy and I Know it" guy.

"That means Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel fall to fourth place with 18 points. Raven Tail and Lamia Scale rise to third with 20 points. Sabertooth and Grimoire Heart are now in third with the same 24 points. And Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere take first with 33 points!"

There was some clapping at that, but most of Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere were thinking that they got jipped with only second place in the competition. The crowd began to disperse and the E-Board from Crime Sorciere followed the fairies back to their house to plan out the rest of the details for the charity fair the next day.

After much debate, they had settled on setting up a face-painting booth. While the face painting and the fair were a lot of fun, they only managed to bring in the third most cash, which gave them ten points for a total of 43. Grimoire Heart and Sabertooth's raffle brought in the most money, so they earned 20 points, which put them back in first by one point at 44.

"We'll get them tomorrow in the Greek Olympics," Erza said confidently when they returned home the fourth night. The girls all cheered, but no one was really sure. If they'd been with Sabertooth, they couldn't have possibly lost. But with the nerds…

"We're doomed," Sorano muttered as she flopped on the couch after Erza headed upstairs out of earshot.

"Shut up and get some sleep," Lucy said. "We've got an early morning."

Sorano flipped her off, but she did head upstairs with the others. Lucy sighed. Sorano's issues were really beginning to piss her off.

"Cheer up, Lu," Cana said. "Some of those Crime Sorciere boys are fiiiittt. And your boy Erik is definitely at the top of that list."

"Not so loud, Cana," Lucy whispered. Cana just grinned and sashayed up the stairs where she would probably stay up scrolling through Tumblr until 4 a.m. despite having to get up in time to be at the football stadium by 8. No matter what happened at the events the next day, Lucy already knew one thing that she was going to be dealing with for sure.


	13. Day 5, Part 3

**Day 5: Answers**

 **Part 3**

 **"War is the Answer" by Five Finger Death Punch**

 **(March)**

* * *

Lucy had to drag herself out of bed the next morning for the Greek Olympics. She was so not excited for this event. She was also not excited about the prospect of having to drag Cana out of bed before noon, which was sure to be a terrible start to an already unfortunate day. Years of being friends with Cana had taught Lucy that gentle tactics would not suffice. So, as soon as she had stumbled out of bed, she turned on the overhead light. Cana didn't even flinch, though Lucy did wince slightly. At least now she was slightly more awake for the ensuing battle.

Grabbing her pillow, Lucy staggered the few steps to her roommate's bed. She raised the pillow high and brought it down with a "fump!" on Cana's head. Cana merely mumbled crossly in her sleep and pulled the covers over her head. Lucy sighed.

"Well, at least this way I get to warm up for the hell we're about to endure at the stadium," she said. Then, she started slamming the pillow over and over into Cana's body until the brunette finally sprang up cursing and grabbed her own pillow. Several minutes of furious pillow fighting ensued until they were both gasping for air. Cana was sprawled on the floor with her upper body leaning on the bed while Lucy clutched at her headboard for support.

"God dammit, Lucy," Cana said when she finally had her breath back slightly. "There has to be a better way for you to wake me up."

"I could have dumped water on you again," Lucy said. She clutched a stitch in her side as she stumbled to the closet to find her Marvel t-shirt and some athletic shorts.

"Yeah, I guess I'm glad you didn't do that," Cana muttered.

They met several equally sleepy sorority girls downstairs. Lucy silently cursed Carla because she knew that no one else could be responsible for making the houses all show up at the stadium at 8 a.m. By the time all of the Greeks were assembled and prepping their teams for the tug of war competition, Lucy was at least mildly awake. Erik eyed her messy bun with obvious amusement, and she glared at him until he wandered off to rouse Macbeth who had somehow fallen asleep on his feet without collapsing while they were waiting. A rope stretched across a mud pit at one end of the stadium in front of a stage with a long buffet table. Taking up over half of the stadium was an inflatable obstacle course that looked like it belonged on a reality show, complete with moving parts and pools of water to catch people who fell.

"Alright, in keeping with tradition, tug of war is a mini-bracket," Mato announced. "First up, Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere versus Raven Tail and Lamia Scale."

Lucy watched from the sidelines as the ten members for their team took up positions opposite the party frat and their partner sorority. Normally, Raven Tail might have had a shot, but it seemed they had spent too much time on their favorite hobby the night before, so the male half of their team was dead on their feet. Crime Sorciere and Fairy Tail won within ten seconds.

"Well, that was anti-climatic," Mato commented. "Okay then, Grimoire Heart and Sabertooth versus Mermaid Heel and Blue Pegasus."

With Laxus and Gajeel on the team, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel didn't stand a chance.

"I really hope we'll see a better show from all of you in the later events," Mato groaned. "Okay, you know what to do."

The two winning groups faced off. This bout at least lasted thirty seconds before Gajeel and Laxus were able to overpower Erik and Rogue, who were the only real competition from the Crime Sorciere/Fairy Tail team. The cats and the hearts gained 10 points for winning, while the fairies and the criminals gained five points for their win against Raven Tail/Lamia Scale.

"Everybody take five, and then it's on to the relay!" Mato tried to put some excitement in his voice as he added, "There's free coffee over there."

Several Greeks made a beeline for the table he'd gestured to so they could get some coffee in their systems. Lucy couldn't help being disgusted by the blatant display of college student stereotype, though she knew she was in the same boat. She glanced at her brother, and she was even more appalled that he, as usual, was not a member of the club. For that matter, neither was Erik. She really hated morning people.

Teams of four were formed for the relay. Lucy wasn't surprised to find Erik on their team with Max, Erza, and Mira. She thought they might actually have a shot at this one. Their only real competition was Jet from Raven Tail, but he looked like he was still hungover. Gajeel, Gray, Minerva, and some redhead that Lucy thought might be Yukino's roommate made up the Sabertooth/Grimoire Heart team.

Mira barely made it over the finish line before Minerva to snag 10 points for the fairies and the criminals, which put them back in first place despite the five points Minerva snagged by coming in second. Everyone was finally starting to look alive at this point.

"And now, the hot dog eating contest! Two competitors from each house, if you please."

Lucy gave Cana a thumbs up as the brunette took the stage with Michelle. Richard and Nathan joined them. Lucy wasn't even remotely surprised to see Natsu and Sting representing Sabertooth. She was even less surprised to see them sweep the competition, though both Michelle and Droy from Blue Pegasus gave them a run for their money.

"Fifteen points," Erza muttered.

"We've got this Erza, we just have to take first and second in the obstacle course," Lucy said. Everyone went through the inflatable obstacle course, and the best three times scored points from the event.

"Don't count on it, Twinkie," Laxus said from her other side with Gajeel in his customary place just behind him. Laxus smirked down at her. "Sabertooth doesn't lose."

"Well, they will today!" Lucy declared. "Just watch. We're winning these games, Pikachu."

"Sure, shorty," Gajeel said. He reached out to roughly pat Lucy on the head. She flung his hand away and stuck her tongue out at him.

"You boys are sure cocky," Erik said with a grin as he came up behind Lucy.

"Indeed. You will be eating you words soon enough," Erza added. "Let's get prepped."

Lucy groaned, but she followed the president to begin stretching. Despite her words to her brother, Lucy knew that Erik and Erza were their only real shots at winning. Possibly Mira, and Cana had been known to pull off some amazing stunts when pushed. But really the other Crime Sorciere members did not seem athletic in the least.

"Don't worry so much," Erik said. Instead of following Erza's calisthenics, he was hopping from foot to foot and throwing the odd punch to loosen up. "I'll take first. Max can probably snag second or third if Erza doesn't. I hear you can be quite the acrobat, too. The kitties won't know what hit them."

Lucy smiled, but she didn't reply as she concentrated on loosening up her stiff muscles by bending down to her toes. She glanced up at Erik again to have him elaborate on how good Max was, but she stopped when she saw him frozen in place as he stared across the stadium with murder in his eyes. Lucy hadn't really noticed when the crowd started showing up. A few people had come to the earlier events, but everyone not involved in the competition were really only interested in the obstacle course. It was one of the highlights of the semester. Lucy furrowed her brow as she scanned the crowd in the stands where Erik was staring, but she didn't recognize anyone that would make him look that lethal.

Erik took a small step forward, and Lucy stood fully to lay a hand on his arm.

"What's up, Gambit?"

He stared forward again for a moment before turning to Lucy and relaxing his tense stance.

"Don't worry about it, Emma," he said. "Thought I saw someone I recognized, but it's probably not them. Let's go."

He took her arm and steered her towards the line that was forming to collect the randomly ordered numbers from the organizer's table. Lucy wanted to argue, but she felt a cold ball of fear in her stomach that told her she probably didn't want to know. She had forgotten about Natsu's cryptic warning during the karaoke contest, but now she realized what he must have been apologizing for.

"He's here. Isn't he?" Lucy murmured as she took her place in line. Erik gave a curt nod. His mouth was set in a thin line, but he wasn't looking at the stands anymore. "Is this a problem?"

"No," Erik said. He looked down at her and tried to smile. It was a weak result, but she appreciated the effort. "I've got you by my side. Everything's fine."

They grabbed their numbers and rejoined their team as metal music began blasting over the speakers. Rogue nodded approvingly as he started singing along quietly. Lucy and Erik both had a long wait, so they stretched out on the carefully manicured turf to watch people stumble across the obstacles. Most ended up in the water instantly, though a few made it halfway. It wasn't until Gajeel took his turn that someone actually completed the course. He pumped his fist in the air at the finish before being carried off by his brothers. Lucy cheered along with the crowd, and Erik gave her a scathing look.

"What? He's like my brother," Lucy said with a pout.

Erza was the next one to complete the course, and Fairy Tail went crazy when Mato announced that she'd done it faster than Gajeel. Lucy made it to the halfway point before a swinging padded pole knocked her into the water. A couple of her sisters met her at the edge and pulled her out of the pool. Lucy shivered as Mira wrapped a towel around her shoulders.

"Why the f-f-fuck are w-w-we doing this in M-march?" Lucy stuttered. She clutched at the towel and moved back to rejoin the team as a Raven Tail guy slipped within two feet of starting.

She screamed herself hoarse as Erik finished the course, beating both Erza and Gajeel's times. It was another hour before the last contestants were finished. Erik stayed in the top spot, but Erza was knocked to third place by Sting.

"Alright, final totals: In 4th place, Raven Tail and Lamia Scale with 25 points! In 3rd place, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel with 33 points!" Mato announced. There was some minor clapping, but none of those houses had scored anything in the Olympic events. "2nd place is Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere with 78 points, which means that the winner of the 68th Annual Greek Week is Sabertooth and Grimoire Heart with 84 points! Way to go!"

Lucy clapped half-heartedly as the winning houses celebrated nearby. She'd really wanted to win this year to prove that the so-called criminals weren't as useless as everyone wanted to pretend.

"Cheer up, Miss Frost," Erik said. "So we lost this one. At least everybody had fun once they stopped ignoring each other."

"Since when are you the optimist?" Lucy asked with a raised brow. Erik shrugged, but before he could reply another voice broke in.

"Still losing, I see."

Erik froze in place, but Lucy turned to see who was speaking to them. A tall man with shaggy black hair stood behind them. He wore a baggy, black hoodie and sweatpants, and black tribal tattoos covered both sides of his neck. The most startling thing about his appearance was his inky black eyes. She recognized those eyes because she'd seen them in the face of her ex-boyfriend.

"Zeref," she murmured. Rogue's head whipped around and he stepped forward to get subtly in between Erik and the man who took his eye. Erik turned slowly to regard his former rival.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Erik said. His voice was calm, and his body was still, but Lucy caught the slight tension in his neck and in the creases around his good eye.

"I thought I'd stop in to see my little bro's frat kick your asses," Zeref said. He's eyes fell on Lucy, and he smirked. "So you're the bimbo that dumped my brother. Can't say I'm completely surprised. He can be a little worthless."

"Watch how you talk to Lucy," Gajeel growled as he stepped up opposite Rogue.

"Stand down, Black Steel," Zeref said. "I'm not here to pick a fight with you. Wouldn't want anyone to lose any… body parts."

Everyone in the group stilled. Lucy was distantly aware that there were still dozens of milling Greeks around them and even more people from the crowd coming down to mingle. Surely Zeref wasn't deranged enough to pick a fight here? Could Erik keep his rage down enough not to get pulled into that kind of stupidity? As soon as the bubble of silence formed, it broke as Erik laughed.

"That's clever, Dragneel. Why don't you go back to your pink-haired freak of a brother and leave the civilized people to celebrate?"

"I know it's got to chap your ass to know that I just won't go away. I bet I pop up in your mind more than you care to admit," Zeref said. He sounded bored, but Lucy shivered at his slightly deranged smile.

"I wrote you off a long time ago, Dragneel. I have nothing more to say to you," Erik said. He started to turn away, but he stopped when Zeref spoke again.

"Keep running, Cobranus. I thought you had more fight in you than that."

"Then let's settle our score in the cage," Erik snarled. He took a step towards Zeref, but Gajeel and Rogue both stretched a hand in front of him to keep him from walking too close. Zeref didn't even flinch.

"Much as I'd love to, Cobranus, I doubt that will happen. No one will match us up. I'm too far out of your league."

"Right, that's why no one is stupid enough to put you two in a cage together," Gajeel said with a roll of his eyes. Zeref ignored him as he continued smirking at Erik as though daring him to just make a move now.

"I know a guy who can do it," Erik said. "If you're not scared of losing right after your great comeback."

"Oh please," Zeref said. He sniffed and turned to leave. "Have your man tell me when and where. I'll be there."

Erik glared after the convict. He'd carefully kept his hands and body loose in case Zeref did something stupid, but now tension crept over his body as his hands closed into fists. A small hand came to rest on his arm. Erik glanced down, and his glare faded and the tension washed away as he regarded the tiny blonde beside him. Without thinking, he moved his arm so he could grab her hand and wrap her fingers with his. Lucy didn't protest.

"Are you fucking nuts, Cobra?" Gajeel said. "You can't seriously be thinking about going in the cage with the Dark Wizard. One of you is going to fucking die."

"No, we won't," Erik said. "Dragneel's crazy, but he's not stupid enough to kill me on camera or in front of a crowd. Not with our history."

"And what about after the fight, dipshit?" Gajeel raked his hands through his hair angrily.

"Gee, Black Steel, I didn't know you cared," Erik said with a smirk. Gajeel hmmphed at him. Erik redirected his attention to Lucy when she tightened her grip on his hand.

"You don't have to do this, Gambit" Lucy whispered.

"Yeah, I do, Emma," he said. "I'm never going to release this rage if I keep holding onto what happened with Dragneel."

"And how does this help?" She asked. There was no judgment in her tone, but her eyes were sad as she tried to understand.

"I just want a fair fight with him," Erik said. There was more, but he couldn't articulate it clearly. He wanted to prove that he wasn't weak. Zeref had taken more than his eye that night; he'd taken Erik's confidence. Erik wanted that back. He had learned to live without his eye, but his rage centered around the idea that it made him less of a person. He didn't know if beating Zeref would change any of that, but he had to try. He wanted to explain all of this to her. He had to settle for hoping that she would understand the things he couldn't say.

Lucy nodded slowly before glancing at Gajeel who was studiously ignoring the couple's intertwined fingers. She blushed and pulled her hand away. Lucy jogged over to join her sisters and the Crime Sorciere members still celebrating their victory. Erik cocked an eyebrow at Gajeel.

"I don't want to know," Gajeel said, holding his hands up in front of him. "If I don't know anything, Laxus can't try to kill me for not telling him. Just don't get yourself fucking killed in there with that maniac. I don't want to see my sister cry over your corpse."

Erik nodded before following Lucy at a more leisurely pace as Rogue stayed behind to talk to his older brother. Watching the Fairy Tail and Crime Sorciere group, it was hard to believe that the sorority girls had (and probably still) disliked his brothers. He knew it was most likely a temporary friendship, but he was going to enjoy tonight if for no other reason than that tomorrow he had to make a phone call to a used car salesman named Brain. He just hoped the cost of the call wasn't his soul.


	14. Day 6

**A/N: And now for a bit of fluffy fun! Thanks for all the support on this story :D**

* * *

 **Day 6: Raspberry**

 **"Raspberry Girl" by Chicosci**

 **(March)**

* * *

Sabertooth hosted the celebration party the next night. The typical bonfire and beer pong tables decorated the backyard while music thumped from inside the house. At least it seemed that the Grimoire Heart girls had managed to get some indie rock to mix in with the pop and party rap. Lucy leaned against Cana in front of the fire as they both swayed to the music with red plastic cups tightly in hand. Her eyes drifted over the crowd, and she couldn't help comparing it to the Sabertooth rager last semester. Every Greek house on campus was represented. Even Wendy was present to represent Cait Shelter, though Gray was hovering around her and scowling at any male who dared come within a few meters of her.

"Okay, lady, it's body shot time!" Cana announced suddenly before dragging Lucy over to a makeshift bar on the opposite side of the fire.

"Really, Cana?" Lucy protested more from habit than actual dislike for the idea.

"Yup! Maybe if I get you drunk enough, you'll forget your sexy fighter is supposed to be a secret."

"Keep it down! Otherwise I'll have to tell everyone you've got a thing for Yuki's roommate," Lucy threatened.

It was possibly a low blow to bring Flare into the conversation, but Lucy really didn't want Cana spouting off about Erik too loudly just yet. Cana blushed almost as bright as her crush's hair. The sight of which actually stunned Lucy enough for the brunette to drag her the rest of the way around the bonfire. Before they could reach the bar, they were stopped by the crowd that had gathered around it. Cana shoved their way through, and Lucy's mouth dropped open.

Her twin brother, the stoic president who never fraternized with women at his frat's parties, was doing a body shot off of Ultear, the stoic president of Grimoire Heart, who was currently lying on her back on the "bar." She kind of wanted to vomit as Laxus licked the salt from Ultear's bare stomach before downing the Tequila and taking the lime from her mouth. He quickly spit the lime to the side and covered her lips with his as her arms wrapped around his back to pull him closer.

"I may be sick," Lucy said. She knew that Ultear must have been the woman Laxus had told her about, so she was really happy for her twin, but she really didn't need to see this. Cana just laughed and cheered with the rest of the crowd. "I think I need to… go… yeah, I need to go."

Cana nodded vaguely before letting out a piercing wolf whistle. Lucy shoved her way through the crowd and made a dash for the house. In a terrible parody of the last rager, a wet ping pong ball slapped her in the face as she tried to make it inside.

"Seriously?" Lucy asked as the same kid from before came up to apologize. _I swear to god if I walk in on Natsu going down on Sting again, I'm so done,_ Lucy thought. She figured she was safe on that one considering that she had no intention of seeking out their room tonight. She pushed her way through the crowd in the kitchen to reach the keg in the corner.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Lucy groaned. Natsu and Sting weren't in exactly the same position as before, but they were making out rather violently with Sting's ass planted firmly on the keg as Natsu pressed against him. A few people gave them a second stare, but nobody seemed willing to interrupt that particular event. _Just let there be beer in the living room,_ Lucy prayed to the universe as she turned sharply away from the spectacle.

The living room keg was completely tapped. Lucy tossed down the hose in disgust. It wasn't that she was unhappy. She was thrilled for the two newly revealed couples, but damn she wanted more alcohol to deal with the things she'd had to see tonight because of them.

"Can you feel the love tonight?" Erik sang behind her. Lucy turned with a grin.

"Sure, but I'd also love to feel the alcohol in my system," she said.

"Take this," he said. He handed her a cup of beer. "Don't worry; nobody's touched it but me."

Lucy sipped at it and sighed in relief as the coolness slid down her throat.

"I'm glad Ultear and Laxus got their shit figured out. Or at least, that they're starting to," Erik said. "Dragneel and the blonde surprised me a bit."

"Not me," Lucy said. This time she took a large chug from the cup as Erik gave her a look that clearly said 'Go on.' She shook her head at him and drained the cup all at once.

"Oh no," Erik said. "Oh no fucking way. That was the person he cheated with?"

Lucy grimaced, but she nodded.

"I really want to pull you in for a hug right now, but given the circumstances…"

"Has everyone lost their goddamned minds?" Sorano shrieked. Lucy and Erik turned in the general direction of the sound to see Erza slam Jellal into the wall with their lips locked firmly together. Lucy laughed softly, and Erik rolled his eyes before leaning in closer to her.

"Should we join them?" Erik murmured in Lucy's ear. She considered it for a moment before replying with a shake of her head.

"We'll let the presidents have the spotlight for tonight," Lucy said. She looked up at him and smiled. "But soon. It'll be our time soon."

"Good. I kind of like our little secret meetings anyway," he said.

"Well in that case, meet you in the treehouse in half an hour?"

"Fuck yeah."


	15. Day 7

**A/N: Okay, this one's almost late because I just spent 11 hours driving home. So sad my vacation is over :( But I hope you guys enjoy, and there will be an epilogue!**

* * *

 **Day 7: Energy**

 **Part 1**

 **"Energy" by Shinedown**

 **(June)**

* * *

It took three months, but Brain had come through with a fight matching Erik with Zeref. In the meantime, Erik had fought every few weeks in other matches that Brain organized. Brain never came right out and said that Erik owed him for this favor, but the slightly oily man sent out enough hints that Erik kept fighting for him even when he was dead tired and falling behind in classes. His frat brothers and Lucy had been godsends in that regard. The brothers helped him study, and Lucy kept him organized. Rogue and Lucy came to every fight, no matter how far away. Gajeel made it when he could, too. Makarov didn't approve of the slightly seedy fights Erik was taking, but he tried to hold his tongue after Gajeel and Rogue explained the situation.

"You're ready for this, boy," Makarov said.

Erik continued punching the mitts the old man held for him to warm up. Makarov had been sending others as corner men in his place for the other fights, but he'd decided to come himself to this one when Erik told him it was finally time to face the Dark Wizard.

"Zeref's only taken one fight since his return, but he took out a big name," Makarov said. "The hype around this event is sickening, but when you beat him, it will set you up for good."

Erik just nodded and kept hitting until Makarov stepped back and dropped the mitts.

"Look at me, boy." Makarov waited until Erik raised his eye to him. "I know the anger that's still burning in you, but it has no place in there tonight. If you let the anger take over, you will lose. Keep calm, wait for your time to strike, don't take him to the mat unless you have to. Your grappling is good, but it's his specialty. Don't be goaded into something stupid, and you have no chance of defeat."

A handler came to get them a few minutes later. Erik stepped out of the hallway to walk through the crowd of screaming fans. One corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he heard the walk out music that Lucy had chosen for him drift above the noise of the crowd.

 _Who cares? He's there to stare and tell you how to look.  
_ _I'm not even sure they know you by name. Who cares?_

Erik stripped his shirt and he waited for the ref to pat him down and check his gloves. His eye drifted over the crowd looking for the blonde. He knew she would be here tonight somewhere. His attention was redirected to the cut man as petroleum jelly was applied to his cheeks and brow.

 _Alright, alright, alright  
_ _You're such an energy  
_ _Let me see your fire  
_ _Put your fist up in the air_

Erik pumped his fist as he jogged up the stairs and into the cage. He shook out his arms and hopped from one foot to the other as his trademark scowl settled over his features. He looked straight ahead and finally caught sight of his girlfriend sitting with Rogue, Gajeel, and Laxus. Erik was a bit surprised that the giant Heartfilia had come to the fight. He hadn't attended any of the others except one event where Gajeel also fought. Granted, this match was actually near Magnolia, so maybe it was just convenience.

 _Alive, that's how I want you to feel tonight.  
_ _Live, you're only here once so do it well.  
_ _Find your way to rise up and give 'em hell._

His intro music faded out as Zeref was announced. Erik focused in on Lucy while his opponent was checked and prepped before entering the cage. Erik only let his gaze drift from his girlfriend's face as the ref called the two men to the center for final instructions, which Erik had heard so many times that he barely listened anymore. Zeref had a wicked half-smile that made Erik want to lash out right then, but he bit back the fury. He chanced one more glance at Lucy over Zeref's shoulder before pushing her and everything else from his mind.

"Touch gloves and go back."

Erik tapped forward gently and jogged back to his corner of the cage. For a moment, the world held its breath as he waited for the ref to initiate the match. Then the moment passed, and Zeref was bounding towards him. A fist flew out, aiming straight for Erik's missing eye; he dodged while landing a fist on Zeref's exposed chest. They bobbed around each other, feeling out the opponent's movements. It was just like their match over three years ago when Erik had tapped Zeref in the first round, and yet things were so vastly different.

Erik let his body move on its own for a time as he tried to stave off the memories of their last fight. His body hitting the concrete as his head barely missed the curb. The smell of sewage drifting up from the open grate as the sound of Zeref's footsteps and laughter echoed down the darkened street as he walked away. The bloody eyeball lying on the sidewalk as pain ripped through his face.

A phantom pain shot through the scar tissue over his eye. It brought his head back into the fight in time to be tackled to the mat as Zeref tried to get the arm bar on him. Erik had expected the Dark Wizard to go for a full K.O., but apparently his time in prison had wizened him slightly. That or Zeref actually had a decent trainer who could talk some sense into him.

Erik twisted his hips and wriggled out of the hold to gain the dominant position. Grappling wasn't his strong suit, but he'd been working a lot with Gajeel since the encounter with Zeref at the Greek Olympics. Gajeel had gotten into MMA through his wrestling in high school. His ground game was amazing. It had been time well-spent because Erik was actually holding his own.

He pounded a fist into the side of Zeref's head as he tried to wrangle a choke-hold with his other arm. The buzzer to end the round blew before he could get it, and Erik reluctantly released his opponent before heading to his side of the cage. Makarov handed him a bottle of water.

"You lost focus," Makarov said. He rubbed some petroleum jelly on a cut over Erik's useless eye. "I know what you were thinking, but forget it. Keep your head in this cage, not on that street. Got me?"

"I hear you, old man," Erik said. He handed back the water bottle and took up his fighting stance for the second round as the corner men left the cage.

Erik kept the fight vertical for most of the second round. He went for a war of attrition approach as he tried to wear Zeref down rather than going for a spectacular knock out. Zeref kept looking for openings to take him to the mat again, but Erik never gave him the chance. Flashes of sensation from that night kept trying to intrude, but Erik pushed them back again and again even as he pushed his opponent around the cage with his fists and kicks.

"Keep this up," Makarov said during the break before the final round. "He's getting sloppy with his punches. He's getting tired. Wait for him to make a mistake."

Erik nodded. He was beginning to feel the strain of the prolonged bout. It had only been ten minutes, but that was longer than Erik's matches generally lasted. He knew he had the stamina for a full three rounds, but he would prefer to end it here. If he could just get Zeref to lose focus or drop guard for a moment, then Erik could get in there and finish him. He didn't want to win by score, though he was pretty sure he could based on the first two rounds. He wanted to take the Dark Wizard out completely.

His inner rage danced excitedly at the new thought process. That's when he made a mistake. Zeref threw a left hook feint that he converted into a takedown when Erik tried to counter. The air left Erik's lungs in a whoosh as his back hit the mat hard. He recovered quickly and raised his arms to fend off Zeref's ground and pound assault. The Dark Wizard swung madly, but his punches were erratic. There was no method to them, and they were too wide to conserve energy. Erik lifted his hips and simultaneously threw an elbow at Zeref's face to toss him to the side. Zeref managed to hook one leg around Erik's shin, but that was fine with Erik. He used the leverage to get behind Zeref where he threw elbows and punches at the Dark Wizard's head until he could wiggle his arm under his opponent's chin.

"Tap out, fucking tap out," Erik mumbled around his mouthpiece. He drew his arm tighter against Zeref's windpipe. The Dark Wizard struggled against him and tugged at Erik's arm with one hand, but he didn't tap. A fleeting thought crossed Erik's mind that he could so easily kill him now. Crush the life from the man who took so much from him for so long. Erik could feel Zeref going limp, and he glanced to the ref who didn't seem inclined to call anything. He heard the blood roaring in his ears, and the urge to take the opening to end the so-called Dark Wizard almost overwhelmed him. If the man was stupid enough not to tap out... why shouldn't he kill him?

With a muffled cry of frustration, Erik released his hold and thrust Zeref away from him just as the buzzer sounded the end of the match.

Zeref rolled away; he was gasping for air, but he was conscious. Erik found that highly annoying. He tried to get his breathing under control as he stood to one side of the ref while Zeref took the other and the judges' decisions were announced.

"It looks like we have a majority draw, folks. There is no winner for this fight." The announcer sounded almost offended by the verdict. A lot of the crowd booed. None of the officials seemed to know quite what to do at this point. Erik looked at Zeref who was still looking slightly purple. Erik held out a hand towards him. Zeref stared at the blue glove for a moment before raising his gaze to meet Erik's. The Dark Wizard reached out and took his hand.

"It's a bullshit decision, but we'll try again in a few months," Zeref muttered. Erik shrugged and walked out of the cage into the crowd. He headed straight for Lucy, but he was stopped by Brain.

"An unfortunate verdict," Brain said. "I'll get you another match. It might take a few months, but you deserve another shot when the fight was so obviously yours."

"No." Erik said. He didn't bother explaining before slipping out of Brain's grip and continuing his path to his waiting girlfriend.

Lucy met him halfway and threw her arms around him before landing a kiss on his lips. He picked her up around the waist as he held her tightly. For the first time in three years, the rage was gone. He felt nothing but peace as he held her close. Lucy drew back and rested her forehead against his.

"You clearly dominated," she said.

"Yeah, and Zeref knows it," Erik said. He rubbed small circles on his back as he reveled in the calm he'd been missing for so long. He finally pulled back to look at her properly. "It doesn't matter. Winning wasn't really the point. And you've got blood on your face."

He gently wiped his blood off her forehead as he set her back down on the ground. Someone cleared their throat loudly nearby, and Erik looked up to see Laxus glaring at them both. Ultear hovered at his shoulder with an amused expression.

"Not that I didn't suspect this for a while, but fucking really Cobra?"

"If you want to fight me over being in love with your sister, fucking bring it, Heartfilia," Erik said. "I let her go once because of stupid shit, and I'm not doing it again."

Laxus smiled at that.

"Just checking," he said. He clapped a hand on Erik's shoulder. "A lot of Greeks are here watching this fight tonight, and you just made out with my sister in plain view. Hope you guys are ready for the attention."

"I can live with that," Erik said. He glanced down at Lucy to gauge her response, and his heart stumbled at the look of adoration on her face.

"No more hiding," Lucy murmured before reaching up to pull Erik down for another kiss.


End file.
